Assistant Coach Johan Eriksson's thoughts on how we are coping with the good start
Thanda have now played two competitive matches, extracting a maximum amount of points. After beating Keizer Chiefs away by two goals to one in the opening match of this season, Amabhubesi come out victorious against Celtics in their first home game. Now, near the top of the log, Thanda find themselves in a new state of affairs.
Never before has the club been on this end of the log. On the contrary, the entire previous season, Thanda found themselves battling at the bottom, trying to avoid relegation. As a matter of fact, the past season started with four consecutive losses. Even though the performance improved after that, the team never found momentum. The entire duration of the club’s first season was spent fighting an uphill battle. Only thanks to a 91st minute penalty in the last match of the league were Thanda truly safe from relegation.
This season seems to be a different story. There is a lot of talk and speculation as to where the team will end up. Avoiding relegation? Top 8? Top 4? Winning the league? The question seems to be a hot topic brought up by fans, media and by the players themselves. The truth of the matter is that nobody seems to know how far the team can go. Whilst some sceptics still rate the team as the number one relegation candidate, others seem to have gotten carried away by the good start and are now asking “who can beat us”?
The answer to the question depends on how the team handles the early-day’s clever start to the season. Even though the first two matches have resulted in wins, there are still improvements to be made. The facts are that there are two valuable players for each position. Given the fact that there are renowned players who have yet to feature in a competitive match in the Thanda colours is ensuring a healthy competitive atmosphere that should drive the team forward.