Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has said he considers cancelling his DStv subscription when he listens to TV analysts praising negative football.
Mosimane said South Africans‚ and TV analysts‚ complain about a lack of goals in the league‚ but then show admiration for the negative tactics employed by opposition teams against his attacking Downs.
“When Sundowns play against a team we are always the aggressors. And I always listen to commentary (and analysts)‚” Mosimane said‚ receiving the Premier Soccer League’s coach of the month award for December at the PSL offices in Parktown.
“The Brian Mathes‚ the pundits‚ the top guys always speak about the team. And sometimes I switch the audio off when I do my match analysis‚ because sometimes it helps me.
“Because I get emotional when I’m listening. I think‚ ‘Maybe I must stop subscribing to this thing’. Because sometimes it can become a tavern talk.
“You go to English (football) commentary. I love basketball‚ and I listen to the commentary there‚ and sometimes I come home and I say‚ ‘Oh‚ OK‚ here we go’. But it’s OK.
“And then they say‚ ‘But look at the opponents who are playing against Sundowns’‚ and they’re praising how organised they are.
“How they don’t let us in to score. How they come out on one counterattack. And they give them so much credit.
“And sometimes we lose in games like that. And then I’m asking myself: ‘Are we praising the 30 percent ball possession‚ or 25 percent? Is that very good? Or‚ is it good organisation?
“So‚ should we now also not go there to also sit back so that they can praise us on good organisation and counterattack. Because we’ve got enough quality‚ we’ve got the speed‚ to counterattack.
“So‚ I don’t know how it is? Sometimes when a lot of teams play for a draw we are complaining that there are no goals.
“But we are praising the sitting back‚ the reinforced defence. I don’t want to use the other tag (parking the bus) because it gives me problems with the other coaches.
“So you praise it‚ so why are you asking for goals?
“So I don’t know what to say about the way the league is. Is it reinforced defences? Is it less attack?
“But I know what it is for Sundowns. We have a conversion ratio where we don’t convert as many opportunities. And hence we are getting caught by counterattack.
“Because if you watched the game of Barcelona (against Real Sociedad)‚ they were losing 2-0 and ended up winning 4-2. That’s what I like.
“So‚ I don’t know what you like. But we’re trying at Sundowns to score. It’s just that we are exposed to a lot of counterattacks and goals are being scored against us.
“But if you want those people (supporters) to come and sing‚ the way they sing‚ at the stadium‚ the product must be right.
“Don’t sell a bad product and then ask why there are no people at the stadiums.”
Mosimane was responding to a question on the tightness of the league this season‚ and how leaders Sundowns had appeared set to run away with the league in December‚ but been reeled in in January.
Pitso ‘considers stopping TV subscription because of tavern talk’
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has said he considers cancelling his DStv subscription when he listens to TV analysts praising negative football.
Mosimane said South Africans‚ and TV analysts‚ complain about a lack of goals in the league‚ but then show admiration for the negative tactics employed by opposition teams against his attacking Downs.
“When Sundowns play against a team we are always the aggressors. And I always listen to commentary (and analysts)‚” Mosimane said‚ receiving the Premier Soccer League’s coach of the month award for December at the PSL offices in Parktown.
“The Brian Mathes‚ the pundits‚ the top guys always speak about the team. And sometimes I switch the audio off when I do my match analysis‚ because sometimes it helps me.
“Because I get emotional when I’m listening. I think‚ ‘Maybe I must stop subscribing to this thing’. Because sometimes it can become a tavern talk.
“You go to English (football) commentary. I love basketball‚ and I listen to the commentary there‚ and sometimes I come home and I say‚ ‘Oh‚ OK‚ here we go’. But it’s OK.
“And then they say‚ ‘But look at the opponents who are playing against Sundowns’‚ and they’re praising how organised they are.
“How they don’t let us in to score. How they come out on one counterattack. And they give them so much credit.
“And sometimes we lose in games like that. And then I’m asking myself: ‘Are we praising the 30 percent ball possession‚ or 25 percent? Is that very good? Or‚ is it good organisation?
“So‚ should we now also not go there to also sit back so that they can praise us on good organisation and counterattack. Because we’ve got enough quality‚ we’ve got the speed‚ to counterattack.
“So‚ I don’t know how it is? Sometimes when a lot of teams play for a draw we are complaining that there are no goals.
“But we are praising the sitting back‚ the reinforced defence. I don’t want to use the other tag (parking the bus) because it gives me problems with the other coaches.
“So you praise it‚ so why are you asking for goals?
“So I don’t know what to say about the way the league is. Is it reinforced defences? Is it less attack?
“But I know what it is for Sundowns. We have a conversion ratio where we don’t convert as many opportunities. And hence we are getting caught by counterattack.
“Because if you watched the game of Barcelona (against Real Sociedad)‚ they were losing 2-0 and ended up winning 4-2. That’s what I like.
“So‚ I don’t know what you like. But we’re trying at Sundowns to score. It’s just that we are exposed to a lot of counterattacks and goals are being scored against us.
“But if you want those people (supporters) to come and sing‚ the way they sing‚ at the stadium‚ the product must be right.
“Don’t sell a bad product and then ask why there are no people at the stadiums.”
Mosimane was responding to a question on the tightness of the league this season‚ and how leaders Sundowns had appeared set to run away with the league in December‚ but been reeled in in January.