Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Rudolph Seale doesn’t agree with coach Ernst Middendorp that the international break has contributed to the 1-0 loss to Polokwane City on Saturday evening.
The Soweto giants suffered their first defeat of the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season and the former defender has urged the current squad to bounce back as quickly as possible.
Seale also singled out striker and skipper Bernard Parker as a good leader, after the player switched roles between left-back and winger this term.
“Even though many say it’s still early in the season, I still believe it’s not good to drop the points at home. People say it’s still early to talk about who will win the title or who will be relegated, but I want to see Chiefs collecting the points," Seale told Goal.
“They lost to Polokwane and that game is water under the bridge but they must now bounce back as quickly as possible. They must ensure they regain the points they lost and that will happen if they work hard in the next game.
“I think they played well but they must treat the loss as an eye-opener because it’s safer if you collect points as early as possible and then when you trip, you know you are still safe as far as the log is concerned.
“Look at Liverpool in the English Premier League, they are collecting the points and it’s good to do that as early as possible, Chiefs must focus on winning their next game and erase the loss to Polokwane."
With the German coach lamenting the recent international break, the former Bafana Bafana defender has a different view, stating that the breaks are part of the game.
“I think that’s a lame excuse, I am sorry to say that you because you can’t blame the loss to the break. The Fifa break is part of the game and it will still happen again this season," he continued.
“It’s all about how you deal with it because Polokwane City also had to deal with the break. Football is about winning and losing, so I think it's a blessing in disguise to lose this one for the guys to wake up.
“Life is about ups and downs and you cannot have a smooth run in football. I don’t think he would be blaming the break had he won the game."
On whether the Soweto giants are PSL title contenders, the Soweto-born legend has backed the team to challenge for the title as they now have a balanced squad.
“I think they are the PSL title contenders and if you look at the squad they have and the players that were signed, they are better than what we saw in the past few seasons," he reacted.
“They have started much better than in the few seasons and I want to credit Bernard Parker. I really take my hat off for him. The guy is leading by example, he plays in different positions this season and he is working very hard for the team.
“Teams that fight titles must have players like him. We all know him as a striker, but he has played at number three, on the wing and he gives his all.
“It’s not a fluke that Chiefs have kept him and I hope the youngsters are getting inspired and learning from him. The positions have different demands and he has delivered very well so far."
