Coaches, give us some style

Many soccer fans don’t go to the stadiums these days to watch PSL games because the matches are simply boring. There is a lack of entertainment in the way our teams play. Strict tactical approaches have overshadowed creativity and individual brilliance.

Coaches are more concerned with winning games, even in an ugly way, so that they can get the necessary points and save their jobs. Club bosses are ruthless and they demand quick results — putting unnecessary pressure on their technical teams and players. The win-at-all-costs attitude is like a dangerous poison that has been injected into our football, ensuring that it dies a slow and painful death.

Top teams all over the world have proven time and again that it is possible to win even the most competitive games by playing good football. The world champions won the World Cup in style, playing creative football full of intricate passing and ball possession, you could see that their players were not restricted and they played with confidence and self belief, without completely doing away with the required tactical discipline.

It can be argued that our local players or teams are nowhere near the level of Spanish giants like Barcelona, which always manage to put on displays that border on arrogance almost every week.

Yes a high number of PSL players are technically/tactically challenged. Witness that every week when they miss the simplest scoring opportunities, they fail to complete the most routine passes and so on. But that should not serve as an excuse for the coaches to employ the kick-and-run tactics. Coaches should not only think about the safety of their jobs only, they also need to understand that for the average fan, a football match is not a matter of life and death, it is merely a form of entertainment.

By entertainment I’m not talking about senseless showboating that has been the downfall of many South African youngsters, I’m talking about teams keeping possession, playing attacking football with flair and not doing away with individual brilliance. The best coaches in the world can tell you that one slick move and creative play from an individual player can be the difference between playing a draw or winning a tough encounter.

Having said that, it is encouraging that we still have coaches like Vladimir Vermezovic and Antonio Lopez Habas of Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns respectively. These two coaches are under a lot of pressure to win games every week, but they have not sacrificed the entertaining elements in their team’s style of play.