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Cape Town - The behaviour of Kaizer Chiefs' fans at matches continues to be of concern, coach Stuart Baxter said after his team went down 1-0 to Ajax Cape Town on Tuesday night.
"If the crowd openly displays its displeasure for any of our players, it upsets the whole group," Baxter said.
"I'm sure in the long term, that's something the fans certainly have to understand. If they can't, then the players have just got to put up with it, but they will feel more isolated from the supporters."
The 20 000-plus Chiefs supporters at the Cape Town Stadium frequently called for substitutions and continually booed their displeasure from early on in the match.
"I doubt their reactions had any impact on the team. While they are playing, even the booing tends to disappear.
"The players have been very good at dealing with it. But because they (the players) have made an appeal to the fans, it's an issue. So in the long term, I think we have to deal with it."
In sixth position, Amakhosi were still within striking distance of the top of the table.
But the defending champions had won only three of their eight league matches this season and did not appear to be as invincible as they were last season.
Baxter believed opposition coaches were applying more cautious tactics against his side, making it tough for Chiefs to score from open play, or on the counterattack.
"I think last season, people had become used to attacking Kaizer Chiefs because they had lost a bit of respect for them," Baxter said.
"This year, because we did the double, they have a bit more respect, and they play a bit more tactically smart.
"So, if you put all that together, that is why we are not having as many transitions as we had last season, and that is why we are having to pick our way through teams now."
