Kaizer Chiefs PSL Season Preview 2020/21

Kaizer Chiefs came agonisingly close to ending a five year trophy drought last season in their 50th year. However, they lost out on the final day after stuttering in the later rounds. With a new coach in the shape of Gavin Hunt, can we expect them to go one better this time around?

Recruitment

Kaizer Chiefs remain in limbo on the recruitment front due to their transfer ban handed down by FIFA. The club’s most recent update on their appeal was almost three weeks ago as they continue an agonising wait to find out if they can sign players for new coach, Gavin Hunt.

The biggest change will instead be on the coaching front, where Ernst Middendorp and his assistant, Shaun Bartlett, were fired after their side’s implosion in the later rounds of the season. They ended in second place after a 1-1 final day draw with Baroka FC. Many fans rejoiced at this news after the side blew a “13 point lead” and were tarred with the “route one football” brush. 

In reality, Chiefs had indeed led by that margin at one stage, but from full time of one game vs. Bloemfontein Celtic to kicking off their next, the gap had been cut to just six points. Simply, Mamelodi Sundowns played after Chiefs and that points gap was a fallacy (it was more like seven points when the sides were on equal games – still a genuine collapse). As for the style of play? Fair enough, Chiefs did use long ball football. For the first time in his career on these shores, Middendorp used a long ball game.

In our 2019-20 season preview Chiefs were not tipped to be anywhere near the title. The basis of the article was the average playing squad, whilst a pressing, transition-based style of play was expected to be retained. That’s how their German coach set up in his first six months in charge. Few could have foreseen a title challenge or the direct style implemented. It all came from bringing out the best in Samir Nurkovic, a player who the team was built around. It so nearly brought the league title.

In has come Gavin Hunt, a local coach with a very strong personality, a winning mentality, an incredible four league titles to his name. Plus a clearly defined preferred style of play. Just don’t tell anyone that he favours direct football too!

Update:

We would like to reiterate that the Club is still waiting for the outcome of the FIFA ban appeal case lodged and heard by CAS on 9 September.

We will communicate when we receive the outcome. #Amakhosi4Life! pic.twitter.com/hMYNkLhqy9

— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) September 25, 2020

One of the most interesting things will be to see if Hunt has control over transfers. As recently as May, he said in an interview that he had previously missed out on the top jobs because he wanted control over who the club signs:

“The problem if you go to the top three clubs is you’re not the boss. I had a meeting with a chairman from one of the top three. And it was a great meeting. He said: ‘I want you to be the coach’. I said: ‘Ja fantastic’. I said: ‘Mr Chairman there’s only one problem here — you’ve got four or five bosses. Here I’m the boss’. He said: ‘No‚ no‚ that will never work’. I said: ‘I’m the boss. You know‚ I’ve got to bring‚ sell and buy . Obviously you sell‚ but I’ve got to say this one can go and

whatever’. And obviously it went nowhere; nothing happened.”

How Hunt Sets Up

Basically, since he became a head coach, Gavin Hunt has favoured pragmatic football. He will build his side around the talents of the players at his disposal, however, he only recruits those capable of playing one way: get the ball forward early, no pussy-footing with possession at the back, and get the ball into the mixer from wide areas as often as possible. He is the coach who loved the likes of Mame Niang at Moroka Swallows and SuperSport United. He also last won the league with Eleazar Rodgers up top.

Even in recent interviews, including with Robert Marawa’s Youtube channel, Gavin Hunt spoke in defence of the style of play used by Kaizer Chiefs last season. He mentioned that winning is paramount and not how you play, spoke about not liking modern fullbacks and many other opinions on what he wants from his team. If we look back at the style he employed with Bidvest Wits and his comments in defence of that style. Hunt has never been shy to admit what he prefers.

Expect to see two genuine wide players (with a minimum one being pure winger) and at least one fullback getting a plethora of deliveries into the box. Also a target man upfront, multi-functional and physical central midfielders and as much height at the back as possible. This to defend crosses but also to provide a set-play threat on attack.

Of course, should Chiefs not be able to sign players, then who knows where Hunt will find even a single genuine winger in his squad or a midfielder with a rounded skill-set. We may see Reeve Frosler
fulfil one of those roles, seeing as he is a “modern fullback” and not therefore preferable at right-back under Hunt (although the coach did give him his breakthrough in the 2016-17 season in that position, so who knows for sure).

Don’t get it twisted, Hunt’s team can play some good stuff. A high-tempo, high-octane style with lots of balls coming into the box and one central midfielder arriving to attack deliveries is a regular sight. Whilst most of the long passes are exactly that: passes over a longer distance to switch play or find the feet of the number nine or mobile number 10. Diagonals onto the head of an aerially strong fullback or winger are also seen at times.

On Paper, Chiefs May Be 5th Best

Looking at Chiefs’ current squad, prior to any new signings, it can be argued that all of Sundowns, Pirates, SuperSport and Cape Town City have significantly better players. Even a midfielder like Goodman Mosele at Baroka or Daylon Claasen at Maritzburg United would go straight into
Amakhosi’s starting XI, never mind a Thabo Nodada or Teboho Mokoena!

For Hunt to compete for the title with an ageing and unbalanced squad would be a miracle and a major surprise. As it was under Middendorp last season. Chiefs may be the best-supported and biggest club in South Africa, but if we did a combined XI with say Cape Town City, perhaps only three or four Chiefs players would be in the starting XI.

Looking at their squad, it is obvious that there are really weak areas in terms of quality and quantity. With no genuine wingers, Frosler and Khama Billiat could play in wider areas. Hunt most often uses a 4-2-3-1 shape with one target man – likely to be Nurkovic – so Lebogang Manyama has a natural spot as a number ten. Leonardo Castro may need to play second fiddle as opposed to partnering Chiefs’ Serbian upfront like last season.

With just Yagan Sasman and Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya at left back, it is no surprise that S’fiso Hlanti is being targeted for that role (with Happy Mashiane likely a bit too adventurous for Hunt’s liking). In midfield, the department looks alarmingly short of two-way ability with Katsande and Anthony Agay only able to be pure holding players and just Kearyn Baccus capable of playing box-to-box. George Maluleka would have been ideal for what Hunt asks of his double pivot.

It’s a big IF, but should Hunt can get Billiat to come out of his 18-month funk, then the side, with Nurkovic and Manyama centrally and Frosler’s excellent delivery from crosses, could be an attacking force in Hunt’s style of play relatively quickly. The coach has also loved a veteran so will have every belief that he can turn around the 2-3 years of underwhelming contributions from the likes of Rama Mphahlele and Itumeleng Khune.

Verdict

Previewing the season for Chiefs is difficult until we know if they can sign players. If their transfer ban is overturned and some established quality like Phathutshedzo Nange and Hlanti may arrive, plus at least a couple of old school wingers, then Hunt may have Chiefs doing well right away. If no new signings arrive, then this campaign is likely to be about treading water, eking out the last few drops of top-level performances from Khune, Erick Mathoho and Katsande and waiting for a chance to strengthen.

There is also the possible departure of Samir Nurkovic, who had been linked with joining Pitso Mosimane at Al Ahly. A big-money sale without a replacement would be a massive blow, whilst a sale to fund a squad overhaul would be more palatable but still not ideal if players are bought
without Hunt’s direct input.

Expect the new coach to play percentage football, get some ugly wins to buy himself time to work and ingrain his mentality on the club, and kill time until he can mould the playing squad in the way he sees fit. Expecting a league title until such a time would be completely unrealistic, exactly as it was at the start of the 2019-20 season.

Prediction

Best Possible Finish: THIRD (Perhaps second depending on the transfer ban)

Worst Possible Finish: FIFTH