After a positive start to the season, Kaizer Chiefs have been offered advice on how to maintain big crowds coming to their games and how to structure their recruitment ahead of the January transfer window, by former player and coach Shaun Bartlett.
Chiefs opened their Premiership season with back-to-back victories against Marumo Gallants and AmaZulu in front of a good attendance from supporters, with a feel good factor under new head coach Nasreddine Nabi.
And that had a ripple effect ahead of the match against Mamelodi Sundowns, as the encounter was a sold out affair at FNB Stadium.
After a 2-1 loss against Sundowns, Nabi admitted that they still need to sign better quality, especially in the striking department and that he has been given "an open budget" to spend in the January transfer window by the management at Chiefs.
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Former Amakhosi striker and coach Shaun Bartlett, has revealed what stood out for him when he was signed by the Soweto giants from Charlton Athletic, who were in the English Premier League, in 2006.
Bartlett suggested that he was surprised to see the number of supporters Chiefs pulled every week and that the reason they could not maintain it over the last nine years or so was the quality of recruitment or the lack thereof.
"The difference for me [coming back to SA at Chiefs] was the attendance, every week they would play in front of sell out crowds during our days, it was a massive eye opener. Also the infrastructure, at the time Chiefs were probably on par with Charlton, as far as facilities were concerned," Bartlett said on SoccerBeat YouTube Channel.
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"At the time we had European coaches, my first year was with Ernst Middendorp, second year with Muhsin Ertugral. The coaching for me was not different [to EPL], I was used to it but the players got a little bit frustrated because it was something new, they had to adapt.
"But at the end of the day, when you have people come into your country and add value, you've got to appreciate it. No disrespect but that's where sometimes we lack, as far as signing players outside the country is concerned. In England you need to have played 70 percent of the games of your country. Look at how many players we sign that are not internationals. We sign a lot of foreigners but we don't sign good internationals that can add value into the PSL," Bartlett added.
Nabi could be on track to take Chiefs back to their glory days, as he does not compromise the quality of signings after he recently rejected an unnamed Portuguese striker on trial.
"He is not the quality of Chiefs. He is not the quality I need exactly for Chiefs. I know what quality I want for my team," Nabi revealed to the media.
