Gavin Hunt head coach of Kaizer Chiefs during the 2020/21 CAF Champions League football match between Kaizer Chiefs and Primeiro de Agosto at Soccer City, Johannesburg on 23 December 2020 ©Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
Question | Are Kaizer Chiefs’ fans expecting too much from Gavin Hunt?
Gavin Hunt has reportedly been given a strong warning to turn things around or face the chop but are the expectations too much?
Gavin Hunt head coach of Kaizer Chiefs during the 2020/21 CAF Champions League football match between Kaizer Chiefs and Primeiro de Agosto at Soccer City, Johannesburg on 23 December 2020 ©Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
A top eight finish in the league and a spot in the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League!
This is what the Kaizer Chiefs management reportedly expects from Gavin Hunt and his team this season.
But are the expectations too much on Hunt?
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When Hunt replaced Ernst Middendorp at the start of the season, he was expected to turn things around for the better.
However, this hasn’t been the case as Chiefs continue to struggle and look nowhere near their last season’s form even with almost the same squad.
And Hunt can blame it on a number of factors, including his inability to reinforce the squad with new signings due to the transfer ban that was imposed on the club by FIFA.
It has been quite a bumpy ride for Hunt with several of his top players losing form while the majority of them have struggled with injuries.
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And this includes Khama Billiat, Samir Nurkovic (at the start of the season) and Reeve Frosler among many others, leaving Hunt very short of options at times.
He has also often been forced to utilize some players out of position, and while the criticism he has faced is huge, at times, Hunt didn’t have a choice.
To expect Chiefs to finish in the top eight is non-negotiable, and it shouldn’t even be a mandate for a coach of Hunt’s caliber but expecting him to reach the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League is too much.
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And that’s because Chiefs are new to the CAF Champions League group stages, and in addition, they have not been doing well at all this season.
Of course, their CAF Champions League journey hasn’t been as bad as their domestic run but Chiefs and Hunt should be afforded the space to make their own mistakes and learn from them.
Chiefs are third on the Group C log, tied on four points with second-placed Horoya AC with three games to go.
