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Johannesburg - Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt says he is embarrassed with himself and for the team at the troubling turn of events this season.
Wits have had a poor start to their defence of the league title and have no hope of mounting a challenge for the title.
“I feel embarrassed for the team and myself. I have never been in this situation. I have never seen anything like this,” said Hunt.
However, he was quick to point out that he had not thought of quitting, despite the disastrous league campaign.
Bad start
“Me? You’d have to chase me [out of] here. You’d have to pull me out of here with a horse and cart. No quitting".
But he admitted that he was feeling the pressure.
Hunt said the club’s struggles stemmed from the fact that not enough business deals were struck early on in the season.
Despite registering three star players in the off season, Hunt believes it was not enough to lift the team. He said injuries to key players including Buhle Mkhwanazi and captain Thulani Hlatshwayo also contributed to their bad start.
Wits had acquired the services of former Bafana Bafana captain Steven Pienaar, Montenegrin international Slavko Damjanovic, Bafana midfielder Daylon Claasen and Bokang Tlhone from Free State Stars.
Three of the players have already left the club after failing to make an impact – only Claasen remains.
“In my opinion, we didn’t do enough business in the beginning of the season,” said Hunt. “But now we are doing business and hopefully it is going to show. You will hear a big story. We have to fish and do business".
He now believes they have the perfect players to take the club back to the top.
Lehlohonolo Majoro and Edwin Gyimah have already shown their worth since joining during this transfer period. Sifiso Myeni, who was recalled from his loan spell at SuperSport United, has given the side the needed creativity in the middle of the park.
Hunt was waiting for the arrival of German defender Denis Weidlich, who joined from Maritzburg United.
Turning the corner
Wits had scored a mere seven goals in the opening 15 games and this had left Hunt frustrated.
“I have been in South African football since 1980 as a player and coach and have never seen anything like this,” he said, referring to the team’s failure to convert their chances at goal.
“I have never seen a team missing goals like we do. We’d be on top of the log if we had scored half the chances we created. In fact, we created more chances this season than when we won the league last season, but scored fewer goals".
After registering their third victory of the season when they beat struggling SuperSport United 2-0, Hunt warned they should not get ahead of themselves, saying winning one game did not mean turning the corner.
“Let’s win a couple of games and we will see".
He said he was not looking far ahead of himself, but was focusing on Sunday’s encounter against Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
“For me, Chippa are the most improved side at the moment and have made some good signings. They came here and beat us, and I am under no illusions that it is going to be a tough game".
Hunt praised new arrivals Gyimah and Majoro. The relieved coach said they would need to keep their feet on the ground, and “keep looking ahead and not behind us”.
He said now that they had won a game, he hoped to see more players coming back from injuries.
