Chippa ‘too talented to be relegated’
There is no way Chippa United can be relegated from the Absa Premiership with so many talented players in the team, Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt said.
Hunt was responding to a question as to which team he thought would be relegated this season.
This was after his team’s 1-0 victory over the Chilli Boys at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Friday.
“This team [Chippa] have got more quality than the bottom teams, I don’t mean to disrespect anybody,” Hunt said.
“But, they have a lot of quality this team. I like some of their players. So, I think they will be OK.”
The loss has plunged Chippa deeper into the relegation battle.
Though they are 13th on the log, coach Clinton Larsen’s troops are still not out of the woods.
They are level on 24 points with 14th-placed Baroka and Free State Stars, who are second from the bottom.
Both Baroka and Stars have a game in hand.
“Thirty points is always the mark – I don’t know who is going to get to 30 first with four games to play,” Hunt said.
“Maritzburg United obviously have a mountain to climb and Baroka beat Kaizer Chiefs out of nowhere last week.
“Black Leopards are also there [in the relegation battle] so, it’s going to be tight.
“I think if any team can get four points in the next four games they will be safe.
“This sounds stupid, but I think they only need four draws or maybe one win and a draw and lose the other ones.”
The former SuperSport United coach, who has four league titles under his belt, said the league was getting harder every season.
“The teams are getting closer. I’ve said it before – there are too many old players being circulated around clubs and not enough youth coming through.
“Clubs are either scared or they [young players] have not been coached properly.
“So there is a lot of nervousness around the place and you can’t play football like that – I think there needs to be new blood coming into the league.”
He said this was the move Wits would be making.
“The club is going to go in that direction next season.
“They have told me and I said I am fine, I am happy with that.
“There are two to three [young players] identified already. Two are out on loan but they will come back and I have to give them a go.
“In preseason we are going to have seven or eight players away [due to the Africa Cup of Nations] and they come back a week or two after the first game.
“So, what will I be working with for six weeks? I have to get the youngsters in.”
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