Andre Arendse believes that SuperSport United already miss talisman Bradley Grobler, who’s been ruled out of action for some time due to an injury.
SUPERSPORT United assistant coach Andre Arendse says they will work tirelessly to ensure they plug their holes, including finding a replacement for Bradley Grobler.
SuperSport had an unwanted start to their Betway Premiership campaign, losing 2-0 to arch rivals Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday.
Matsatsantsa a Pitori kept the champions at bay in the first half, but the substitutes of the hosts, particularly Themba Zwane, turned the game on its head.
The result stung for SuperSport as they also had their own chances in both halves, only to be let down by poor finishing in front of goal.
Speaking in his post-match press conference – after he took over the coaching reins on the night from suspended head coach Gavin Hunt – Arendse lifted the lid on their struggles.
The 1996 Africa Cup of Nations-winning goalkeeper with Bafana Bafana believes they already miss talisman Grobler, who’s been ruled out of action for some time due to an injury.
“You are not going to get too many chances against a team such as Sundowns because you don’t enjoy the lion’s share of possession against such a team,” Arendse said.
“So, it’s important that when you get those chances – Gape Moralo comes to mind after forcing a great save out of Ronwen Williams – you’ve got to take it. But that’s a midfielder, not a striker.
“One thing that we’ve got to change this season is to back Bradley up with goals. His record shows that he has 14 goals per season, but our next best goal-scorer has three or four.”
SuperSport are not folding their arms and hoping they’ll suddenly score goals. They are working hard to find a lethal striker before the transfer window closes tomorrow night.
Out-of-favour Orlando Pirates striker Zakhele Lepasa has been heavily linked with a return to the Pretoria club. He was previously on loan at SuperSport for six months from January 2023 and scored two goals in nine games.
https://x.com/SSFootball/status/1632416370280513543
And that’s not all. Arendse says they are also pulling out all stops at training to ensure that they get their current strikers firing on all cylinders.
Zimbabwean striker Nokutenda Mangezi, who joined the club this week, made his debut against Sundowns, starting the match alongside Terrence Dzvukamanja.
He didn’t pose a threat to the Sundowns defence, though, and was withdrawn in the second half.
But Arendse has thrown his weight behind the youngster to find the net soon.
“He’s a good young player. He comes from a good pedigree. It was not his best performance tonight, but he’s only 19 years old and learning all the time,” Arendse said.
“He’s got a big heart about him, and he plays for the team, as we’ve seen during pre-season. But this was a tough introduction for him in the PSL. I think he didn’t disappoint, though he can do more.
“We’ll work with him in certain structures so that we give him the means to operate however we want him to play – whether it’s the front two or three.”
SuperSport also want to raid the market for at least another central midfielder who’ll cover for injured anchor Grant Margeman, who’s also set to be sidelined for some time.
However, they might need more new faces for Saturday’s clash against Royal AM at the TUT Stadium (5.30pm kick-off).
Defender Ime Okon could still leave The Spartans as he’s said to have attracted suitors locally and abroad.
But having started against Sundowns before he was substituted in the second half, Arendse says they’ll continue to work with the 20-year-old as long as he’s still at their disposal.
“For now, he does (play for us), unless something happens at the very last minute. But we as the technical team must plan with the players we have,” Arendse said.
“We are planning with Ime… that’s why he started tonight. We thought he was an integral part of how we wanted to play tonight.
“That is why we are planning for him to stay. Any minute-last transfer is out of our hands. But we can’t sit and wait – we need the players like we did tonight.”
