Kaizer Chiefs Baxter

Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter. Image: @kappilinho / Twitter

Former Chiefs star: Stop blaming Baxter, players must take responsibility!

A former Chiefs star says players must take responsibility for underperformance, and that blame shouldn’t just fall on Stuart Baxter.

Kaizer Chiefs Baxter

Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter. Image: @kappilinho / Twitter

The pressure continues to build for Chiefs and Stuart Baxter after another DStv Premiership defeat, this time against SuperSport United on Saturday, and the coach has admitted he would walk away from the job if he sensed he was no longer having a positive impact.

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Matsatsantsa won 1-0 at the FNB Stadium as the calls for Baxter to be sacked quite literally grew louder as sections of the crowd were seen chanting for him “to go”, while throwing objects in his direction.

However, Mohammed ‘Slice’ Ouseb, who spent three years at Chiefs, has said he honestly “doesn’t even think of blaming the coach”.

“I will only blame him for not utilizing the younger boys but besides that, I don’t even think about the coach. The players should take responsibility when they go onto that field. I thought we would improve as time goes on, but we are stuck there where we were,” Ouseb told KickOff.com.

“Let us use the younger boys and make sure the players on the field should work and know and respect the brand they are representing. 

“For me, the players should take responsibility for whatever happens on the field when they go on to the pitch.

“We are a team that can create chances but if we can’t score then we can’t run towards blaming the coach. I believe that at training they are always working on scoring goals.

“When it comes to the game if the players are missing chances why should we blame the coach. For me, players need to take responsibility.”

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Baxter has attempted to downplay the fans’ reaction after the loss to SuperSport, but admitted that he would walk away if their view was shared by the club’s hierarchy.

“I don’t have any message to the fans because if they want me to go I’ll go,” Baxter said, as quoted by iDiski Times. If the chairman says to me I don’t think you’re doing a good job then I’ll walk. I’ve got no problem doing that.

“I will walk myself, if I don’t think I’m affecting the team in a positive way, I’ll walk, not a problem. I’m the only coach that has given this club any success in the last 20 years, but I’ve got to go because we dominate the game and lose 1-0? I’ve got to listen to that?

“It’s ok, they’re a fans, they have the right to say exactly what they want. If that reflects what the chairman thinks and what the players think and the majority of our fans think then maybe I should walk.

“But that’s nothing a group of fans will decide, that’s something the football club or I will decide. If I get that feeling, then of course I’ll walk. But at the moment I’m looking at it as a game we should’ve won but we didn’t and that happens in football.”

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KAIZER CHIEFS NEXT FACE STELLENBOSCH FC

The latest loss left Amakhosi in fourth place in the league standings with 39 points after 23 matches.

Kaizer Chiefs will next be in action away against Stellenbosch FC on Saturday, 23 April at 17:00 while SuperSport United’s next assignment is on the road against Marumo Gallants at 19:30 the same day.