Cape Town Spurs head coach Ernst Middendorp raised eyebrows after admitting some players at the club aren’t up to the DStv Premiership standard.
Middendorp’s troops have had a horrible start on their return to SA’s topflight as the Urban Warriors currently sit rock bottom of the DStv Premiership log standings after 14 matches.
Their record is a dismal with one win and 13 defeats, which is the worst start to a top-flight season in the PSL era. CT Spurs’ only victory this season came against Orlando Pirates.
In their most recent gamen in the league, Cape Town Spurs suffered a 3-0 lose at the hands of Mamelodi Sundowns. It was middendorp’s third defeat since taking over the coaching reins from Shaun Bartlett, who was fired after a series of poor results.
The pressure is mounting, and Middendorp’s blunt assessment has cast a shadow of doubt over the team’s ability to compete at the highest level. However, the German tactician, believes the Urban Warriors possess an abundance of hidden gems just waiting to be polished.
MIDDENDORP RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT CT SPURS PLAYERS
“So if you’re looking into it, Asanele (Velebayi), Chumani (Butsaka), Morne Nel. These are not old legs. Of course, we have three, four players into it. But, I think the secret is always very liberal,” said Ernst Middendorp.
“(Lebohang) Maboe on the other side, Thapelo Morena on the other side, Rushine De Reuck on the other side, I brought them in as young players at Maritzburg United and Bloemfontein Celtic.
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“I can continue, we can take the Pirates team, we can take a number of other teams, and (Siphesihle) Ndlovu at SuperSport United and so on. But you have to prepare them adequately and prepare, it doesn’t mean that you are not able to identify that they have talent, talent is one parameter.
“The professionalism starts with how strong I’m prepared to work on my physical and there were a lot of moments today where it went against one and holding over source that means you have talent, talent is not the question. It’s not an issue.
“There’s a number of players in the club. There’s a lot of talent, but definitely it was a certain challenge of being able to have some real physical power to be successful to stop a player who is driving through the midfield if it is Maboe, if it is (Bongani) Zungu, if it is (Sipho) Mbule, just really you need power, you need the individual. “It’s not that you good in ball possession, you stop a player and then in this moment, of course make something out of it yourself. A number of players are not really prepared for the PSL in the moment, we have to be honest.”