Sundowns have been under the spotlight in recent weeks for their perceived massive advantage in signing players. Former Swallows coach Dylan Kerr believes there are other factors that come into play when players are recruited.
Kerr believes that Sundowns are where they are because they are a well-oiled club and believes if other PSL clubs follow suit and are run their own clubs better, they too will be a club to challenge for titles.
Former Kaizer Chiefs player Jabu Mahlangu went to social media and stated that Sundowns are destroying the league because of their reckless purchasing of players. However, coach Dylan Kerr believes other PSL teams can challenge Sundowns if they are managed properly.
“If clubs are run better and have an investment policy to identify talent and plan a pathway for the next 5 years then they too will be a club to challenge for the league title. But that’s not the case in the PSL” Kerr told Thisisfootball.Africa.
Financial Fair Play law has been a subject that has been mentioned recently with the belief that it should be considered in the PSL. The law has been implemented in Europe to maintain and manage the spending of clubs and now it has been said that it needs to come to the shores of South African football. However, Dylan Kerr feels that the law will not change the bigger issue that the clubs are facing in the league.
“You have to understand that the financial fair play’s main objective is to prevent clubs from spending more than they earn in revenues. It also aims to prevent clubs from getting into financial trouble, so I don’t think even if this law is implemented, that it will affect Sundowns. The quality of players and depth of the squad gives Sundowns the edge, not financial fair play.
“I don’t know how financially Sundowns work but they seem to be always able to have a big budget. I mean who sponsors the NFD, who sponsors the ABC football in this country? Sundowns like all the top clubs in Europe have the financial clout to spend. This is a massive disadvantage to a majority of clubs and in Europe, there’s a vast number of clubs that can afford it.
“In SA having the CAF president and former chairman owning the team gives them a massive advantage to get the best players. They shouldn’t be punished for that. Other clubs as I said have a responsibility to budget their books to what they can and can’t afford.
Kerr has alluded that other clubs should develop policies that will benefit the club to attract the kind of players they need. Attraction is one of the key components that Sundowns have and that is why players go there.
“Players need to see that clubs mean business and it’s not all about money, it’s about playing. Yes, teams that buy players are all good but at times players look at clubs with the biggest budget. But my question is what would motivate a player to sit on the bench? Look I have coached in East and South Africa and players not getting paid a massive amount at a lot of these clubs. And that speaks to structure.
Players want to see the structure of a club and that’s how players are attracted. I mean Liverpool does not spend a lot of money, but players go there because it is a club that has structure, the right personnel, and the club wins trophies,” he added.
“Another factor that plays a part in player recruitment is having the right type of scouting department. Sundowns is by far the best club at the moment in that department. They recruit players across the African continent and from South America. Clubs tend to sell players and not manage to replace them with the right quality, but Sundowns does.
“Look you must remember that as a coach you identify the quality players to add to your team and it’s hard to keep your top players at times. But if there’s a plan and a topnotch scouting department then your team will always stay in shape because when you lose a player you can replace it with another quality player. When I was at Swallows, they sold players against my opinion. They sold 6 players and never replaced them, so then how can expect to grow a club and to compete?
“Look I have helped many players grow and mature and move to bigger teams. Most of those players were not regulars until I took charge of them. The likes of Timm, Ndlondlo, Mthethwa, Basildien, Magaga, Solomons, Matlou, Mahlatsi, Madau, Kapinga, Ndlovu, Mosele, Magopa, King Ndlovu, Nange, Monyae, and Gameldine to name just a few that moved on from teams I coached but were never replaced at the respective clubs I coached. That’s the real problem” he added.
Also Read: Gyimah: People Know How Sundowns Are Performing Currently
