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Benni urge his players to show urgency from the start

Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy.
Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy.
Image: BackpagePix

Benni McCarthy says his Cape Town City side need to learn to start games with a higher tempo and also believes part of their problems in a run that has seen them win only one game in six has been lack of urgency from the start.

City are away at high-flying Lamontville Golden Arrows on Saturday night fresh from a 1-1 home draw with Baroka FC in midweek‚ when coach McCarthy accused his side of only starting to play with any urgency once the visitors had taken the lead.

“Our attitude has to get better‚ we can’t wait until teams score before we wake up and decide to play. We have to start from the first whistle‚” McCarthy says‚ adding the long break for Telkom Knockout and international action had blunted his side’s momentum from their 1-0 win over Free State Stars on November 1.

“The break also stopped our momentum‚ they [the players] were in full voice‚ team unity and spirit was there for the Stars game. And then you had a long pause and the guys got back into their comfort zone because they had won a game now.

“We must get back to the same attitude and team spirit we had against Stars‚ when the odds are against you‚ you rise up and play with a bit more heart.”

McCarthy says he expects a similar battle against Golden Arrows than he saw against Baroka.

“Arrows are quite similar to Baroka‚ they move [the ball quickly] and if we are not ready then they will punish us.”

Key for McCarthy will be who he picks to lead the forward line having dropped Lehlohonolo Majoro and Judas Moseamedi for the last much‚ opting for Letsie Koapeng instead‚ though he failed to impress.

The Arrows side of this season is not unlike the City of last‚ they use pace to counter-attack quickly and rely on mistakes from opponents.

Coach Clinton Larsen admitted as much after the 0-0 draw with Orlando Pirates on Tuesday‚ and says it is a system that works for him with the players he has at his disposal.

“As a team you’ve got to assess your players and play to your strengths and playing on the break is a strength of Arrows.

But we don’t play this way every week and in this way every game‚” he said.

“There have been a lot of games this season where we have played very offensively‚ we’ve started our line of confrontation a lot higher up the field but it wasn’t the case against Orlando Pirates because that was our tactical game plan and‚ to a certain extent‚ I felt that it worked.”

Both matches between these sides last season were won by the home side‚ with Golden Arrows claiming a 2-0 success in Durban.

Abafana Bes’thende will be without suspended midfielder Nkanyiso Cele.

Source: TMG Digital.

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