Kaizer Chiefs captain Brandon Petersen has commented on the recent noise and criticism of his coach Fernando Da Cruz, saying the latter has been able to block the noise and also handle pressure well.
Da Cruz is in his first season as Amakhosi coach and so far has endured inconsistent results, with the side being knocked out of the MTN8 in August and also recently exiting the CAF Confederation Cup at the preliminary stage.
Chiefs are however unbeaten in the Betway Premiership so far this term and sit in fifth place on the standings with 14 points in eight outings, with the coach coming under fire for his selections and style of play.
Ahead of the Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates, the goalkeeper said no one can help the noise and he understands where it’s all coming from. Petersen added he’s been impressed with how Da Cruz and his technical team have been able to handle pressure and not letting it spill into the team.
“I think noise is noise, there’s not really much you can do about it because if people want to speak, they’ll speak,” said Petersen.
“You know, everyone’s entitled to their opinion and what they believe and I think the noise comes also from people want results. You know when you are at a team like Kaizer Chiefs, results are important.
“But I think also the important thing is the journey. And people actually, if you look into where we are and obviously the type of football we are trying to play, there’s been a lot of improvement.
“I think the only thing that’s been lacking, and I said it earlier, is obviously converting our chances, because if you look in the games where we obviously felt like we dropped points, with those draws, and if we actually converted chances we created, we would have been speaking a different story.
“So I think for us, it’s important to know that the noise is there. But it’s important for us also to focus on what we are doing and not being blinded about what’s going on around.
“Like I’ve been saying, obviously the game model the coach has set in front of us it’s a phenomenal game model, and I think the guys have adapted to it very well. And also for me personally, he’s a very good coach. You know, he handles the team very well, and the team dynamics.
“It’s not easy at a team like Kaizer Chiefs because the demand is always there. But I think credit to him and his technical team they’ve been handling the pressure very well and not transferring that pressure to us as players but taking accountability and taking it on the chin and making sure that the environment is good for all of us to work and prosper. So noise is noise.”