STUART Baxter questioned the mental fortitude of his team, hinted at a growing tiredness but said he refused to make any excuses in the wake of the champions losing their top spot in the Premier Soccer League standings.
A shock home defeat to plucky Mpumalanga Black Aces on Wednesday has handed momentum over to Mamelodi Sundowns in the title race with a sombre Baxter looking almost resigned to a disappointing finish after his side lost at home for a second successive game.
“It’s a massive disappointment. It’s a performance that didn’t reflect the sort of character and composure and determination you really want to show if you want to be champions,” said the Chiefs coach.
“Technically I thought we played okay but lacked in our finishing. I thought our mental skills were poor and we lost our discipline for their goal. All in all, not a very pleasant evening’s work.”
But he insisted the title race was not yet done, even if Sundowns now have a three-point advantage and arguably the easier run-in with the finish of the league now exactly one month away.
“If we find that little bit of mental strength that was missing tonight, stop worrying and can mobilise the sort of performance we’ve shown over the last 18 months, then I think we’ll be there or thereabouts at the finish. We need to do that,” Baxter added.
Chiefs’ strikers, notably the league’s leading goalscorer Bernard Parker, missed some glaring chances to wrap up the game long before the stoppage time winner for Aces from substitute midfielder Miguel Timm.
Baxter blamed the pressure of the occasion for the misses: “Maybe missing the first chance could be seen as overconfidence, or even a second missed chance but when you do it three or four times and from just two or three metres out, then I think that is nerves, that’s anxiety, maybe even tiredness.”
He added his reaction would be to put the game behind them and look ahead to their next league clash away at Polokwane City on Wednesday.
“The players know they are going to have to find it within themselves to give performances that are more conducive to a team that wants to win the championship.
“If you are a top team you don’t want to start making cheap excuses,” he added.
Meanwhile, Aces are now setting their sights on upsetting new log-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns as they seek to continue their giant-killing run and their own momentum towards the top of the table.
Coach Clive Barker joked after their midweek win over Chiefs at Soccer City: “We need Pitso badly.”
Aces, who now have the weekend off to recuperate meet Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Wednesday.
“It will be a terrific game. He’s got a team that passes the ball nicely; they’re a good footballing team,” Barker said of Mosimane’s exploits this season.
“He has raised the bar and we’ve got to go out there and beat him next Wednesday.”
Aces are fifth on 40 points with four matches to play. If they win all their remaining games they can get to 52 points, which is where Chiefs are at the moment. The best Barker’s side could still do is to finish third.
It’s not over yet – Baxter
A shock home defeat to plucky Mpumalanga Black Aces on Wednesday has handed momentum over to Mamelodi Sundowns in the title race with a sombre Baxter looking almost resigned to a disappointing finish after his side lost at home for a second successive game.
“It’s a massive disappointment. It’s a performance that didn’t reflect the sort of character and composure and determination you really want to show if you want to be champions,” said the Chiefs coach.
“Technically I thought we played okay but lacked in our finishing. I thought our mental skills were poor and we lost our discipline for their goal. All in all, not a very pleasant evening’s work.”
But he insisted the title race was not yet done, even if Sundowns now have a three-point advantage and arguably the easier run-in with the finish of the league now exactly one month away.
“If we find that little bit of mental strength that was missing tonight, stop worrying and can mobilise the sort of performance we’ve shown over the last 18 months, then I think we’ll be there or thereabouts at the finish. We need to do that,” Baxter added.
Chiefs’ strikers, notably the league’s leading goalscorer Bernard Parker, missed some glaring chances to wrap up the game long before the stoppage time winner for Aces from substitute midfielder Miguel Timm.
Baxter blamed the pressure of the occasion for the misses: “Maybe missing the first chance could be seen as overconfidence, or even a second missed chance but when you do it three or four times and from just two or three metres out, then I think that is nerves, that’s anxiety, maybe even tiredness.”
He added his reaction would be to put the game behind them and look ahead to their next league clash away at Polokwane City on Wednesday.
“The players know they are going to have to find it within themselves to give performances that are more conducive to a team that wants to win the championship.
“If you are a top team you don’t want to start making cheap excuses,” he added.
Meanwhile, Aces are now setting their sights on upsetting new log-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns as they seek to continue their giant-killing run and their own momentum towards the top of the table.
Coach Clive Barker joked after their midweek win over Chiefs at Soccer City: “We need Pitso badly.”
Aces, who now have the weekend off to recuperate meet Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Wednesday.
“It will be a terrific game. He’s got a team that passes the ball nicely; they’re a good footballing team,” Barker said of Mosimane’s exploits this season.
“He has raised the bar and we’ve got to go out there and beat him next Wednesday.”
Aces are fifth on 40 points with four matches to play. If they win all their remaining games they can get to 52 points, which is where Chiefs are at the moment. The best Barker’s side could still do is to finish third.
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