Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy praised his side’s mentality in their 5-0 Absa Premiership hammering of Free State Stars on Wednesday‚ suggesting they are finally beginning to fulfill the potential that he knows is in the squad.
Two goals each for Roland Putsche and Gift Links‚ plus a strike from Siphelele Mthembu‚ saw City turn a narrow 1-0 halftime advantage into the biggest victory for the club in their short history.
“I’m exceptionally pleased with the attitude that went into the second half‚” McCarthy said.
“Rolly [Putsche] got two for a change‚ Gifty [Links]‚ my God‚ finally he got two. Craigy [Martin] had three assists! Teko [Modise] did really well when he came on and controlled the midfield.
“We scored five goals. Hopefully that is a lesson for these boys that if they up their performance just five or 10 percent‚ they can outrun and outsmart the opposition.”
McCarthy was reacting to the weekend’s 2-2 home draw with Baroka FC where his side had also led 1-0 at the break‚ but fell behind early in the second period and had to scramble for a single point that the coach thought should have been three.
“My half-time team talk tone was different from the usual nice pleasantries. I told them to have aggression‚ even when we are in attack‚ as at times I thought it was sloppy and we were making rookie errors.
“I said to them‚ ‘I want fire and aggression‚ people getting stuck in. Not trying to put balls through people’s legs. I’m going to slap the next person I see do that’.
“I wanted the response‚ not the same c–p that we showed against Baroka where we threw away a game that was easily winnable for us and took one point instead of three. I’m happy they took my advice.”
McCarthy admitted that at times he gets fiercely stuck into his players from the sidelines‚ but said this is not because they make a single error‚ but rather that they keep making the same mistakes.
“Most of them are scared to look this side. I’m in their ear the whole time. For the kids it’s a bit explicit!
“But that's what we need – it is long overdue that our players get that European mentality‚” McCarthy said.
“All of this nice‚ nice and‚ ‘sorry‚ hard-luck’‚ that s**t doesn't fly with me. Don’t say ‘sorry’ – just don't do it again!
“You keep saying ‘sorry’‚ but then you do it over and over again. It will never stop.
“That’s why I scream the living daylights at them‚ because I don’t want a ‘sorry’. I want them to do what I expect them to do and what I know they can do.
“We keep saying‚ ‘hard-luck‚ hard-luck‚ hard-luck‚ unlucky‚ next-time’‚ and that's why we won’t achieve anything in this country. We just accept it [poor play].”
MTN8 champions City have a 10-day break and are next in action when they host SuperSport United in the Nedbank Cup last-32 on January 26.
Why Benni McCarthy said he’d slap anyone trying a shibobo
Image: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix
Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy praised his side’s mentality in their 5-0 Absa Premiership hammering of Free State Stars on Wednesday‚ suggesting they are finally beginning to fulfill the potential that he knows is in the squad.
Two goals each for Roland Putsche and Gift Links‚ plus a strike from Siphelele Mthembu‚ saw City turn a narrow 1-0 halftime advantage into the biggest victory for the club in their short history.
“I’m exceptionally pleased with the attitude that went into the second half‚” McCarthy said.
“Rolly [Putsche] got two for a change‚ Gifty [Links]‚ my God‚ finally he got two. Craigy [Martin] had three assists! Teko [Modise] did really well when he came on and controlled the midfield.
“We scored five goals. Hopefully that is a lesson for these boys that if they up their performance just five or 10 percent‚ they can outrun and outsmart the opposition.”
McCarthy was reacting to the weekend’s 2-2 home draw with Baroka FC where his side had also led 1-0 at the break‚ but fell behind early in the second period and had to scramble for a single point that the coach thought should have been three.
“My half-time team talk tone was different from the usual nice pleasantries. I told them to have aggression‚ even when we are in attack‚ as at times I thought it was sloppy and we were making rookie errors.
“I said to them‚ ‘I want fire and aggression‚ people getting stuck in. Not trying to put balls through people’s legs. I’m going to slap the next person I see do that’.
“I wanted the response‚ not the same c–p that we showed against Baroka where we threw away a game that was easily winnable for us and took one point instead of three. I’m happy they took my advice.”
McCarthy admitted that at times he gets fiercely stuck into his players from the sidelines‚ but said this is not because they make a single error‚ but rather that they keep making the same mistakes.
“Most of them are scared to look this side. I’m in their ear the whole time. For the kids it’s a bit explicit!
“But that's what we need – it is long overdue that our players get that European mentality‚” McCarthy said.
“All of this nice‚ nice and‚ ‘sorry‚ hard-luck’‚ that s**t doesn't fly with me. Don’t say ‘sorry’ – just don't do it again!
“You keep saying ‘sorry’‚ but then you do it over and over again. It will never stop.
“That’s why I scream the living daylights at them‚ because I don’t want a ‘sorry’. I want them to do what I expect them to do and what I know they can do.
“We keep saying‚ ‘hard-luck‚ hard-luck‚ hard-luck‚ unlucky‚ next-time’‚ and that's why we won’t achieve anything in this country. We just accept it [poor play].”
MTN8 champions City have a 10-day break and are next in action when they host SuperSport United in the Nedbank Cup last-32 on January 26.
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