Back in his element‚ Hunt plots revival of SuperSport United

In the less pressured environment at SuperSport United‚ coach Gavin Hunt is slowly and quietly awakening the sleeping giant.

His return to the club started tentatively, with two draws and as many losses in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), but the club’s chances have improved significantly, moving to third spot after their 3-1 win over Royal AM on Tuesday at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

Together with their crosstown rivals Mamelodi Sundowns‚ they are the best teams of the past five rounds of matches, with four wins and one loss during this period.

They could move to second spot on the log if they get all three points against Sekhukhune United‚ who will also be high on confidence after beating Orlando Pirates 2-0 on Tuesday in Polokwane.

Reflecting on their season so far‚ Hunt said it would take time for them to challenge for trophies again but they are a work in progress as they seek consistency.

“It is about players buying into what we want to achieve. You can talk about coaching all day but if you don’t have the right mentality in the squad and the best players don’t want to play or don’t see the game the way you see it, it is going to be difficult.

“We are a long way short of challenging but we are a team that can be competitive‚ you need to be consistent in every position. There are one or two things you need to do in every position and every area of the field.

“If you do that properly‚ you will be successful‚ but it takes time.”

To be a force in the league they need to recruit the right players, said Hunt, reflecting on his fateful stints with Kaizer Chiefs and Chippa United.

“We still need to be in the market and hopefully by the next window we will do something. It was very difficult‚ you are a coach for 27 years and never been fired and then all of a sudden you get fired twice in six or seven months.

“You all know what happened at those clubs. It is sad — at the first club I really thought I could win there but it doesn’t work like that. I am back here at SuperSport and we will give it a go.

“We need to build again. There is a good crop underneath the starting 11 but it needs a bit of time to nurture it. The biggest thing is that you have to try and win games that you shouldn’t win and turn losses into draws. If you can do that then you have consistency and you can have a good team.”

Hunt said he is driven by competition.

“It is like a drug‚ I like that because I like to be challenged. At Bidvest Wits we could have won the league by now again. We had a good crop of players but your legs got cut off and players got sold and everything. It was like a butcher shop.

“It was like a meat market‚ selling players. Those players are all over the clubs and that broke my heart. I was the last one to go and you get thrown a curve ball‚ which happens in football‚ and then you start again.

“I want SuperSport to get back and challenge for things and to get back to Africa if we can.”