29 July 2019, by: Grant de Smidt

SUPERSPORT UNITED PSL 2019/2020 PREVIEW

*Realistic options to play regularly – excludes fringe players

*Accurate up to 29 July

This has been an interesting transfer window for the club, bringing in a target man in Thamsanqa Gabuza and an attacking midfielder in Kudakwashe Mahachi, both from Orlando Pirates. Several older squad members have departed as none had been contributing regularly in the second half of last season.

Kaitano Tembo has had several consistent tactical preferences for his side since taking over. In midfield, he favours aggressive, man-oriented pressing as he looks to give opponents no time on the ball in that area. He usually had his sides play quite direct football up to a target man, with speed in the wide areas.

The key players tactically are Aubrey Modiba and Bradley Grobler, both of whom have been linked with moves away but were kept at the club. The latter is a second striker, doing his best work just off a target man and linking play effectively.

When he was injured last season, Tembo switched to a 4-3-3 with a lone striker and Teboho Mokoena as the midfielder tasked with getting forward. The presence of Grobler can be problematic though, as he is unsuited to playing alone up front, so only two central midfielders can generally be used when he is in the side, whilst the wide players have more defensive duties in a 4-4-2, something which Evans Rusike does not relish.

Modiba’s versatility is a key attribute. He can play as one of three central midfielders in a 4-3-3, as a wide midfielder in a 4-4-2 or at left-back. He ended last season playing as an inverted right winger, cutting in onto his left foot, and excelled in that role. When chasing games, he is an ideal player to drop to left-back where he can provide attacking thrust and crossing ability from deep.

Defensively, the side has weaknesses. Clayton Daniels is still an outstanding performer at 35 years old, but he lacks a strong partner and there is little cover if he gets injured. The same applies to Onismor Bhasera at left-back. Ronwen Williams, despite his error at AFCON 2019, is an excellent goalkeeper whose long kicking onto Gabuza will be a good weapon, but he has no real competition or quality cover. Injuries to either of those players or Dean Furman in midfield could be fatal.

Tactically, SuperSport will be fairly predictable this season, whilst their squad looks unbalanced. In defence and in central midfield, they have one big player and then fairly unpredictable younger players, whilst both of their likely starting wide midfielders in a 4-4-2 could be more effective in different positions.

The addition of Mahachi and the return of Thabo Mnyamane will give real quality from the bench, but again, both are arguably suited better to more central roles.

Tembo’s side will probably beat some of the bigger sides in backs-to-the-wall displays, but will also potentially be exposed in midfield and against attacking fullbacks regularly, as the wide players and options to partner Furman all lack tactical discipline. The long-ball and man-marking in midfield strategy lack the subtlety to win games week-in, week-out.

SuperSport may be best suited this season to using Rusike upfront as a channel-running striker, with Modiba and Mahachi in narrow roles on the sides of midfield to supplement central areas.

It is unlikely that Tembo will move away from his approach, so Gabuza will need to replace the bustling work that James Keene and Mxolisi Macuphu gave the side last season.

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