‘We have to be realistic’: Middendorp on a mission to save Cape Town Spurs

Cape Town Spurs coach Ernst Middendorp has pinned his hopes of saving the club from relegation on his bosses opening their chequebook and strengthening their squad during the January transfer window.   

Spurs face a swift return to the Motsepe Foundation Championship as they have had a disastrous start to life back in the DStv Premiership almost halfway through the season. 

The Urban Warriors are rooted at the bottom of the log with a disappointing three points from 14 games in the Premiership. They have won one game — at home against Orlando Pirates, surprisingly, on November 1, before Middendorp’s arrival on November 17 — and lost the rest (13). 

They suffered another loss going down 3-0 to unstoppable leaders Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Stadium on Wednesday night.   

A lack of players good enough to make Spurs competitive in the top tier has been singled out as the biggest problem for the Capetonians.   

Journeyman former Kaizer Chiefs coach Middendorp is honest about how it will not be easy to pull the club out of the quagmire, but is prepared to give it his best shot.   

“For me it’s about finding solutions with what we have and also to think about what could be done, what should be done and what can be done,” Middendorp said.   

“It’s a question of budget and networking. At the moment you can’t do anything, you have to wait for the transfer window.”   

Spurs are seven points behind 15th-placed Richards Bay and 12 behind 14th-placed TS Galaxy.   

It does not get easier for them as they travel to AmaZulu on December 22 and wrap up the year with a derby clash against bitter foes Cape Town City on New Year’s Eve at home.   

“You have to be realistic, we have to find a way to get closer in December. We have two games to play [before the end of the year], we have a few days before the next game and the derby too,” Middendorp said, suggesting the side have mostly played bigger sides since his arrival.

“There are things we have to work on. We haven’t played against a team closer to our level where we can build and have a chance to do something.”