Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has admitted that his side lacked the cutting edge in the defeat to Stellenbosch on Tuesday evening.
Ashley Du Preez’s first half goal was all the Stellies needed to secure their first win over Chiefs in the DStv Premiership.
“It was a really close game, I think it ebbed and flowed a little bit. I think we opened very well, I think we got the first 15 minutes that we wanted,” Baxter told SuperSport TV.
“Our combination around the box was quite good, our movement quite good, they break away and that’s obviously what they were looking for, a low block and break out into the quick players.
“They broke away, only made a couple run-ins that gave them a little hope I think and for 30 minutes we lost our way, we were really not co-ordinated in the pressing.
“We stopped looking for balls in between, we started playing safe and the 30 minutes including their goal we not really good. Then we came back from the second-half, we upped it a little bit but we’re chasing the game a little bit,” he said.
“So they have the luxury of sitting deep all the time and launching balls If they want to, just clearing the pressure. So we just didn’t have the focus and the quality in the second-half that was gonna open them up.
“We had a couple of chances, a couple of good set-plays that we didn’t convert, very close but all in all, it wasn’t a great performance from us. It wasn’t a bad performance but certainly not one those you gonna knock Stellenbosch off their perch when they’ve been undefeated,” he continued.
“They were playing deep, you have to give your opponent some credit, haven’t you? They’re playing with a deep five and supporting with three in front so space around the box was at a premium.
“We did open them up a couple of times but we didn’t make good decisions with the ball, when we had really good opportunities, I mean I could remember one later when we took a shot, I think Bernard was through and another ball to a wide a player it’s a one-on-one.
“It was the same on the other side, I think Keagan [Dolly] was on the ball and another one to Njabulo Blom we’re one-on-one. We didn’t make great decisions and when you don’t make great decisions, you don’t play with the quality that you need, then you’re not gonna break such a compact defence down.”
Meanwhile, Baxter was also quizzed about the performance of Njabulo Ngcobo in the defensive midfield position and that of the two centre-backs Eric Mathoho and Daniel Cardoso.
“Njabulo [Ngcobo] I think he did okay, I’d still like to see him playing forward more, he’s getting used to that but he’s getting more comfortable in the balance of the role, when to drop into the centre-backs,” he went on.
“Today we had him keeping one eye on [Junior] Mendieta because we knew he’d play off the quick lad [Ashley] Du Preez and try to slide him in, so we had him in that role a little bit but I think he did okay.
“The two centre-backs started a little bit shakily we didn’t shift properly the way we did in the second-half, we didn’t do that in the first-half, so we got caught 50/50 a little bit and that opens up spaces we don’t wanna open up.
“But all in all, I don’t think they had that many strikes on our goal, I think we have to look at more our possession of the ball, our movement around the box and our decision-making.
“We’ve got a massive game against Pirates coming up and you try to keep that out of your planning when you play another top and important team. But yeah, when we don’t have that, we take away the edge,” he said.
“And that’s what I’ll say, this performance didn’t have the edge. We’ve had the edge that I’ve liked in almost every game, this one we didn’t have that edge, the decision was wrong, the technique was too exaggerated or we didn’t make that run when we should do.
“So this game didn’t have the edge, it wasn’t a bad game, yeah we lose and that is always a nightmare.”