Stuart Baxter's reluctance to use the club's emerging talent when Kaizer Chiefs are in a rebuilding phase, and ill-advised comments made after a defeat to SuperSport United at the weekend, are among influential factors that have apparently cost him his job as coach.

Chiefs had not, at the time of publishing, confirmed Baxter's alleged firing, as reported by Soccer Laduma. The closest the club has come to an official comment is when the club's social media administration responded to a question from a fan on Twitter with the cryptic: "We can't say anything right now."

The tweet is not an outright denial, which seems revealing.

Reached via WhatsApp on Thursday afternoon and asked to confirm or deny Baxter's departure, Chiefs' communications manager manager Vina Maphosa replied: "I am not informed yet."

TimesLIVE, though, is further informed that Baxter had a meeting with Chiefs’ football department, including sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jnr, on Wednesday regarding developments in the first team, and some of his statements made in the media.

The meeting apparently did not go well. It is unclear, though, if Chiefs decided to fire Baxter, as has been reported, or the coach decided to leave.

The alleged reasons for a breakdown in the relationship, and particularly Chiefs’ unhappiness, are beginning to emerge, and they apparently are based on a combination of factors.

The lacklustre performances and inconsistency of the team — who are in fourth place in the DStv Premiership with seven matches left to play having won four, lost four and drawn two of their last 10 matches — is one factor.

Chiefs are set for a better finish than their eighth place last season under Baxter's predecessor, Gavin Hunt. But they made strong signings in the preseason and have a target of at least second place in the league to runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns to clinch a place in next campaign's Caf Champions League, and on current form that seems increasingly unlikely.

Chiefs exited the MTN8 early in the season in the opening round (on penalties to Mamelodi Sundowns) and were booted out of the Nedbank Cup in the last-32 by then last-placed league team TS Galaxy in February.

Compounding their battles to find winning form on the field, the club are apparently disappointed Baxter has repeatedly overlooked talented young players in favour of players over 30 at a time when the club has a focus on rebuilding.

The coach's reaction on Saturday after chants from fans among Chiefs' first crowd in a stadium in two years of, "Baxter must go", after a 1-0 Premiership defeat to SuperSport at FNB Stadium was apparently not taken well by the club.

Baxter, appearing to react angrily, said: “I don’t have any message to the fans, because if they want me to go, I will go. If the chairman [Kaizer Motaung] says to me, ‘Stuart, I don’t think you are doing a good job,’ then I will walk.”

Chiefs apparently viewed this as disrespectful to the supporters.

Baxter's agent, Steve Kapeluschnik, could not be reached for comment at the time of publishing.

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