Middendorp faces uphill battle at Swallows

Swallows coach Ernst Middendorp has admitted that he faces the daunting challenge of digging the club out of the hole by getting results.

In the two matches he has been in charge of since he took over on December 19, Middendorp has lost both games, to Richards Bay and Mamelodi Sundowns.

And those defeats left Swallows second from the bottom in the DStv Premiership log standings with 13 points from 14 matches.

What makes the job difficult for the coach is that Swallows cannot bring in new additions due to their Fifa ban, and Middendorp said they would have to look into their Diski team to get players who could help them survive.

“It is a bit of a difficult situation. There is nothing you can do. You cannot play shoeshine soccer when you don’t have the resources. You cannot go with a Fiat 500 and expect to win Formula One, that’s not possible,” Middendorp explained to the media after their 0-2 defeat to Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday.

“Stick to your resources to do what you have to and then develop it. We have to look at our Diski team.

“From what I have seen at training, there are two to three players, and we had some, like Ian Makaringe, on the bench against Sundowns. We have to bring them in and help ourselves with the difficulty we have with a Fifa ban.

“The decision where we are won’t be decided now, but it will come in the last match of the season in May.”

Despite the defeat to Sundowns, the 64-year-old was satisfied with the performance they dished out after they frustrated the Brazilians in the first half, and he feels the Brazilians have already won the championship.

“We had our possibilities to score from a set play and out from a counter in the first half and we could have had a goal,” he said.

“We had a possibility before we conceded with the Mwape Musonda miss, but it was not to be with the phenomenal resources Sundowns have. I said it at the beginning of the season.

“Let’s not make jokes about it because at the end of the season, and this is a clear opinion, Sundowns will be at least 20 points in front of everybody.

“It is the reality because of the resources they have, the players they have in terms of fitness, cohesion and very good understanding. Compliments to Sundowns with regards to their next league championship.”