SuperSport United assistant coach Andre Arendse has revealed how things have changed at the club since the return of Gavin Hunt to the Tshwane based team in July 2022.
Gavin Hunt won three league titles with SuperSport during his first spell including the Nedbank Cup. The 58-year-old has been in charge for 18 matches for Matsatsantsa this season in all competitions, having won eight, lost six and currently sit third on the table.
In the last five seasons Matsatsantsa have failed to finish in a top four position at the end of the season. However, the return of Hunt is proving the difference. The Tshwane based team needs to become a truly competitive team once again. Arendse says Hunt has made the team stronger by bringing new players into the squad and combining them well with the younger players currently in the squad.
“Firstly, the one thing that Gavin Hunt has changed since returning to the club is that he made the squad stronger. The acquisition of player like Sphe [Siphesihle] Ndlovu for example, who Gavin has now played alongside Grant Magerman as holding midfielders, are doing a very good job at protecting the back four. Those are two positive moves for the club,” he told ThisIsFootball.Africa.
“Also bringing in the quality of someone like Thabang Sibanyone was a good move. We know that Gavin loves a good tall central striker and Thabang offers that to the team. And the way Gavin has combined the players that have come in with the young players that we have already introduced to the team, I think it has worked well, certainly since Gavin took over.”
Hunt has been very vocal in the media about how his players are not getting paid enough and that most of them are inexperienced, which has left them disadvantaged in comparison to the leagues big spenders. Yet his assistant Arendse paints a more positive picture adding that despite their lack of financial resources, Hunt is skilled enough to overcome the teams shortcomings by organising them so well against so called better opposition, that they hardly notice the difference in available talent.
“Gavin is very skilled at preparing against opposition teams whether it’s set-plays or whether it’s a look at formation. His tactical approach is excellent. He’s very experienced at that kind of level and certainly he made us stronger in all aspects,” he concluded.
SuperSport United are currently in third position on the DStv Premiership log table which makes them likely to play continental football next season if they finish in the top three.
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