Back in his element, Hunt plots the revival of SuperSport United

In the less pressured environment at SuperSport United, coach Gavin Hunt is slowly and quietly awakening the sleeping giant.

His return to the club started tentatively with two draws and as many losses in DStv Premiership but they have improved significantly with the club moving to third spot after their 3-1 win over Royal AM on Tuesday at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

Together with their crosstown rivals Mamelodi Sundowns, they are the form teams of the last five rounds of matches with four wins and one loss during this period.

They could move to second spot on the log if they get all three points against Sekhukhune United, who will also be high on confidence after beating Orlando Pirates 2-0 on Tuesday in Polokwane.

Reflecting on their season so far, Hunt said it’s going to take time for them to challenge for trophies again but they are a work in progress as they seek consistency.

“It is about players buying into what we want to achieve. You can talk about coaching all day but if you don’t have the right mentality in the squad and best players don’t want to play or don’t see the game the way you see it is going to be difficult.

“We are a long way short of challenging but we are a team that can be competitive, you need to be consistent in every position. There is one or two things you need to do in every position and every area of the field.

“If you do that properly, you will be successful, but it takes time, it takes players' trade-ins and all those type of things. We have Benson Shilongo now and obviously he will be huge for us when he comes by Friday. He is decent and I think he will add a lot of value for us and that will be a plus for us.

To be a force to be reckoned with again, Hunt pointed out they must recruit the right players to the club as he also reflected on his fateful stints with Kaizer Chiefs and Chippa United.

“We still need to be in the market and hopefully by the next window we will do something. It was very difficult, you are a coach for 27 years and never been fired and then all of a sudden you get fired twice in six or seven months.

“You all know what happened at those clubs. It is sad that at the first club because I really thought I could win there but it doesn’t work like that. I am back here at SuperSport and we will give it a go.

“We need to build again. There is a good crop underneath the starting eleven but it needs a bit of time to nurture it. The biggest thing is that you have to try and win games that you shouldn’t win and turn losses into draws. If you can do that then you have consistency and you can have a good team.” Hunt competition is something that drives him.

“It is like a drug, I like that because I like to be challenged, at Bidvest Wits we could have won the league by now again. We had a good crop of players but your legs got cut off and players got sold and everything. It was like a butcher shop.

“It was like a meat market, selling players and it was terrible. You see those players are all over the clubs and that broke my heart. I was the last one to go and you get thrown a curve ball, which happens in football, and then you start again.

“I want SuperSport to get back and challenge for things and to get back to Africa if we can.”

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