Cape Town - Golden Arrows coach Clinton Larsen says he is glad for FIFA's international break as it allows him to work on his team, despite being second in the Premiership.
Arrows are undefeated in the league this season with four draws and three wins in their opening seven fixtures.
As such, it was thought that continuing the good momentum might have been important to Larsen.
However, the 46-year-old believes the break is beneficial for his relatively small squad to recuperate and work on new things on the training ground as well.
"For me‚ the most important thing is getting those extra hours on the training field working on different areas we need to improve on," he told the SowetanLIVE website.
"I still hear coaches complaining about the break but it's part and parcel of what we do and we have to get on with business and work.
"I think with a bit more experience behind us now we are able to handle the situation (being among the Absa Premiership) leaders a lot better now than we did last season.
"If you remember‚ last season we got off to a similar start and then we had a lot of injuries and it all got a bit too much for some of the younger players.
"The inexperience took its toll on the team and impacted on our results.
"But I think this time we are little bit better prepared and the youngsters have a bit more game time behind them and we'll manage the situation a lot better in the event of injuries and suspensions."
Larsen's charges face Baroka in a Premiership clash next week Wednesday, October 18 at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Kick off is at 19:30.