Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Siphelele Mthembu believes Amakhosi are struggling because the club has lost it’s identity after too many coaching changes in recent years.
Mthembu is one of the few players, who played for both Chiefs and Orlando Pirates but he had arguably his best spell at Platinum Stars when Chiefs interim coach Cavin Johnson led them to second place in the league back in the 2012/13 season and qualified for the CAF Champions League.
The former striker discussed Chiefs struggles in recent times and has blamed the chopping and changes of head coaches, which he feels has led the club to lose part of it’s identity.
“I think it’s not too hard to play for Chiefs but that pressure that comes from top down [to the players], coaches want results quick and without creating a system or environment where you know what’s the culture and this is the type of playing Chiefs need most [for success],” Mthembu told iDiski Times.
“I think Pirates, Sundowns, SuperSport, they know what type of players they need, they know what their philosophy is. But if you keep changing coaches all the time, you lose the identity and DNA, because now you’re just [playing] finder-finder.
“It goes and rubs on the players, you don’t know what the coach wants. He wants results and that leads to players being in and out of the team. And then as a player, you lose confidence in yourself.”
Mthembu also believes that due to the pressure created by the eight-year trophy drought new coaches are looking for instant success rather than going back to the drawing board and creating a foundation which can lead the club back to it’s former glory days.
“The next thing, youngsters are doing well, then [after a while] they aren’t there. There’s no balance from the coach to say, ‘let me first create this [clear] system, bring everyone together’. It’s not that it’s easy to fail or all these [quality] players don’t make it there. I think it’s a system that needs to be created again,” he continued.
“A long time ago when we used to watch Chiefs, we were excited, players going forward, skilful players. There was a system and culture. Different coaches come with different styles and it cripples the system even more at Chiefs.
“Then you have everyone wanting to interfere to choose the [next coach] and then nothing is stable.
“As soon as they start to get a system, a DNA of Chiefs, and what type of players they need, a scouting team to monitor the players they want. They must look to younger players, those that may struggle now but in a few years be the pillar of Chiefs, so they need to go back to basics – find the Chiefs DNA again with stable leadership in terms of coaching.
“A coach that can stay and implement a successful system.”