After taking over from Molefi Ntseki in October, Cavin Johnson has overseen 14 matches in charge. Whilst that is not a huge sample size, the experienced coach is heading towards six months at the helm. We've seen the coach try five different options in the number nine role, numerous central defensive partnerships, a few formations and 29 different players. The former Al Ahly and Platinum Stars coach has spoken constantly about the "Kaizer Chiefs Way" of playing football… but are we starting to see him implement that particular brand of football? Below, we take a look at the skill-sets of players favoured by the coach and whether we're seeing a clear and distinctive style of play or whether it's all a bit unstructured and off the cuff.
What the last three matches have taught us
After a seven-match unbeaten run in the league, their best such streak since before COVID, Chiefs are now winless in three matches with just one point accrued. What can we learn from the defeats to Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch FC and the draw with Cape Town City? Firstly, we can see that Amakhosi's unbeaten streak came against sides either towards the bottom of the table or ones that are in extended runs of poor form. As soon as they played teams above them in the table, they have been found out. Against Pirates, Chiefs were outclassed in the first half despite holding a lead against the run of play.
Bucs had plenty of possession and created some good chances from their 65% possession, including a couple of good penalty shouts and a 100% red card for Yusuf Maart, where the midfielder somehow escaped a dismissal. We know Amakhosi had more of the ball in the second half but is that because Chiefs imposed themselves more on the clash or because Pirates let them have lots of possession from the 68th minute onwards when the score was already 3-2? Against Cape Town City, the match stats show both sides with 12 shots. Chiefs only managed one shot on target in each half of that 0-0 draw. Yes, they also controlled City's chances to an extent, but Eric Tinkler's side hit the woodwork, had 56% of the ball overall and made 346 passes to Chiefs' 267. Possession doesn't win you matches but it is the Amakhosi traditional way of playing to aim to dominate the share of the ball.
The match against Stellenbosch FC was perhaps the worst of the lot. Yes, Chiefs had 19 shots but eight of those were blocked at close quarters by defenders, 10 of them were from outside the area and they didn't create a single clear-cut opportunity. Most of their opportunities came from long passes, picking up the second ball and firing off a strike from 25 yards out. No one would say that style of play is true to Chiefs' history and objectives! In fact, it was too little from Chiefs after a dire first half with no shots on target and just four touches in the Stellies box. Amakhosi were playing at home!
Dribbling is a key aspect
Without doubt, Amakhosi supporters would say that dribbling and the ability to beat a man is a big part of the trademark Chiefs style of play. Yet, if we look at the leaderboards for successful dribbles (prior to the midweek round of fixtures), the first Amakhosi player to appear is Ashley Du Preez in 20th place. Elias Mokwana is top of the charts and someone like Jaedin Rhodes sits in 12th place with a 48% dribble success. Both of those players had seen themselves linked with Amakhosi in recent months. After Du Preez, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo comes in next in 21st place with 1.4 successful dribbles per 90 minutes.
Cavin Johnson has regularly selected Pule Mmodi down the left and Christian Saile on the right but neither tends to take on their man enough. Saile likes to sprint on the outside and deliver crosses with his weaker foot whilst Mmodi tends to come inside and link up play. If we rewind to last season, some current Chiefs players were amongst the PSL leaders in terms of dribbles. Tebogo Potsane may hardly ever score goals, but he is placed fourth on the leader boards in a Royal AM shirt with 2.20 dribbles per 90 minutes at 46% success rate.
Mduduzi Shabalala was eighth in the charts with 1.70 successful dribbles per 90 at 46% success rate and Mmodi, in a Golden Arrows shirt, was 16th in the dribbles table. What we can take from this, is that Chiefs do have players who are capable of beating a man with skill and one-vs-one actions. We need Johnson to instruct more individual runs from these players and also to coach the movement around these players to isolate defenders without cover. Too often, a Mmodi or Saile finds themselves with defenders double teaming them. Some of this comes down to the lack of attacking forays from the fullbacks to create those overloads down the sides.
Is Duba the answer to number nine dilemma?
Considering that Johnson has only overseen 14 matches, it's quite crazy that we've seen him use five different players in the number nine role. His first match in charge saw Saile lead the line in an ineffective display. Ashley du Preez has been used centrally, we've seen Ranga Chivaviro start matches, Jasond Gonzalez was handed outings and Wandile Duba has started recently against Golden Arrows and Cape Town City. The teenager was handed six outings last term by Arthur Zwane but Molefi Ntseki didn't select him for a single matchday squad this term. The first seven matches overseen by Johnson also didn't yield any minutes, but things have turned around in recent weeks. Since the Afcon break, Duba has appeared in six of the seven matches and has already surpassed his minutes played from last season. Johnson saw the striker score the winner against Golden Arrows but a knock in that game, and perhaps the weight of the occasion, meant Duba did not start the Soweto Derby four days later. The coach did speak well of him in the media, saying: "Duba has been planning this for the past three years. He's been preparing himself mentally to play in a derby, preparing himself mentally to play for Kaizer Chiefs. He's been preparing himself to score goals. What better time for him if he gets an opportunity to come into the derby and score a goal. Then he will be cementing his place as far as football is concerned."
His 190 league minutes so far have seen some promising stats. He has attempted eight shots during that time with three hitting the target. There have been two chances created for teammates and two successful dribbles. Of his 72 touches of the ball, nine have come in the opposition box. Although the data tells us he has only won the ball on one occasion in the final third, his work rate is very high. He certainly chases lost causes, even if some refinement is needed in his pressing angles and learning when to close down and when to simply block switching of play or clog up passing lanes.
In the Cape Town City game, Johnson used Ashley Du Preez as a sort of second striker behind Duba with Shabalala drifting inside from the right. That probably tells you that the coach doesn't quite trust Du Preez as a lone striker and feels he needs a focal point to play off. Whether the DDC graduate, Duba has the physicality to be that reference for a club like Chiefs is very much still a question mark. In that draw vs City, Duba missed an early chance after a Siyethemba Sithebe through-ball due to his refusal to shoot on his left foot. A chance late in the game came on the break as he showed directness and pace and sent an effort bobbling agonisingly wide of the far post. Against Stellenbosch FC, Duba had a mixed bag 45 minutes. He had one run where he got down the side, but Ismail Toure snuffed out any opportunity. The curious thing is that he barely played through the centre, instead having to move wide due to Mmodi and Shabalala playing so narrow. It felt more like a 4-2-2-2 at times than a balanced 4-2-3-1. Saile took Duba's place at the break and considering the youngster had three of Chiefs' four box touches in that opening stanza, perhaps Cavin Johnson was too harsh.
Two midfielders on an island
One of the clearest things we've seen in the Pirates and Cape Town City matches was the 4-2-3-1 shape. In fact, it looks more like a 4-2-4 at times with the defensive line sitting deep, two midfielders and four forwards who hardly ever come back. The front quarter neither look to drop deeper to connect play nor to help the team defend in a compact block. For the two midfielders, it leaves them looking like an island in the middle of the ocean. They have to shield their defence, look to be a support to the forwards to recycle possession and they even have to step up to engage the opposition's deeper midfielders. We saw Sibongiseni Mthethwa trying to man mark Aprocious Petrus or Relebogile Mokhuoane at times before having to run back to cover gaps in the defence. In terms of being a connected, structured team in the four main moments of the game (possession, opposition possession, defensive transition and attacking transition), this Chiefs side is far from compact or cohesive. Johnson clearly doesn't see this as a concern despite Pirates having 64% of the possession in the first half of the Derby as Amakhosi struggled to press. The coach said last Saturday: "I thought the front four in Wandile (Duba), Ashley (Du Preez), Pule (Mmodi) and Shabba (Mduduzi Shabalala), they did very well. They did well in both transitions, in attack and defence, and for that we have to give them credit."
Johnson called Sithebe's display a 10 out of 10 against City and rewarded him with another start on Tuesday. Unfortunately, both deeper midfielders struggled with the basics of passing, sending a number of passes directly out of play or badly overcooking long passes to the flanks. Maart was absent and his range of distribution was found wanting at times.
Four towers at the back
In the ideal Amakhosi style of play, we would see attacking fullbacks to aid the attack. Yet, right now, Johnson is using four conservative defenders. They all tend to stay at home and not look to overlap or underlap their wingers. In fact, you'd think the lockdown rules were back in affect. Zitha Kwinika is more naturally a centre back these days and whilst he brings height and defensive abilities, he certainly isn't going to be assisting goals at the other end. Sifiso Hlanti was once an attacking fullback who could cross the ball well and pass incisively. He's now deep into his thirties and those days are a distant memory. We now see him tucked in next to Edmilson Dove or sometimes inverting to block counters. This often leaves Mmodi without support or decoy runs to open up space. At the times Hlanti does go forward he very rarely ventures near the byline. He did it once vs Stellenbosch FC and delivered a fine cross, but he knows he can't get back. Devon Titus exposed the space around and behind the veteran numerous times in the opening half at FNB Stadium vs Stellenbosch FC. There is nothing wrong with a defend- first mentality and the clean sheet record – eight shutouts in ten matches prior the Stellenbosch clash – speaks volumes. Amakhosi are not easy to break down with their back six sitting in place, but it doesn't do anything to help them win matches at the other end. Since the AFCON hiatus, four of Chiefs' six matches have finished in 0-0 stalemates. This is far from the "Kaizer Chiefs Way"!
Sub management needs some work
Picture the scene… there are 72 minutes gone at Athlone Stadium vs Cape Town City last Saturday. Eric Tinkler has subbed off his tired top scorer in Khanyisa Mayo and three of the narrow midfield-four has also left the field. You'd expect Chiefs to look to their bench and try to get the goal to take all three points. Instead, Johnson withdraws striker Duba and introduces Dillan Solomons, who is now more of a fullback than an attacker. Perhaps he felt Darwin Gonzalez or Rhodes were getting too much space, but it was certainly a defensive alteration. With 88 minutes gone, we finally see two proven super subs in Saile and Chivaviro enter the action. The latter scored four goals as a substitute in the league for Marumo Gallants last season – he is basically a specialist impact player when being introduced late in matches! We've seen these sorts of defensive changes from Johnson's first match in charge. Against Arrows, he subbed off striker on the day, Saile and brought on midfielder George Matlou.
He later introduced Solomons as a winger and gave Gonzalez only five minutes of action despite Amakhosi trailing in the match. The Chiefs philosophy is to try to kill off games and look to turn draws into victories. We are instead seeing a coach making conservative calls and trying to protect a 0-0 scoreline at times. Against Stellenbosch FC, at least we saw Johnson throw on Saile at the break, give Chivaviro a run and try to replace a defensive right back for an attacking one.
Building for next season + Cavin's good decisions?
This is a key question… are Chiefs actually building for the future? It's not easy to tell because there is evidence for both sides of the argument. On the one hand, giving the captain's armband to players like Maart and Given Msimango is a way of creating new leaders in the squad. Both were captain at their previous clubs and at least Amakhosi are moving on from Itumeleng Khune or Keagan Dolly leading the side. The latter has broken a bone in his foot and may not play for Chiefs again this season. In the same breath, does selecting veteran Hlanti speak to preparing for next season? What about bringing in Sithebe and Mdantsane from the cold when neither has been a part of the plans for long stretches of this season. At least, we haven't seen much of Gonzalez, who is only on loan with Duba getting outings instead. Whilst someone like Samkelo Zwane has regressed because of a lack of minutes, at least Shabalala and "Mshini" Ngcobo are playing more than they did under Ntseki.
Aside from the above, we've seen many good decisions. The coach has settled on Bruce Bvuma in goal, has scrapped Ntseki's idea to use Castillo and Maart as number eights and has been mild-mannered in the media. The board must love his diplomacy over the inactive January transfer window. Other coaches would be bemoaning the lack of investment in the squad. Johnson has also moved Edmilson Dove back in to the middle where he is clearly more comfortable and suited to playing based on his physical attributes.
Cavin takes notes from Pitso's soldier
One interesting aspect this week was Johnson making Chiefs train at 2am on Sunday morning. This is 100% something he learnt from Pitso Mosimane's conditioning trainer, Kabelo Rangoaga. The latter did the same at Mamelodi Sundowns and believes in these recovery sessions to this day. Johnson told the Chiefs website before the Stellenbosch FC game: "The dynamics have been different. We haven't had this many back-to-back games since I have been with the team. We returned from Cape Town on Saturday night and had a regeneration session at 2am in the morning so as to allow the players to rest all of Sunday, which is the best recovery. "Today (Monday) we train, and we'll be ready for tomorrow." Some may find this weird or laughable, but it is inventive and is based on best practice. Credit to the coach for learning from his days at Al Ahly with KB Rangoaga.
Summary – the style is confused
If we summarise, there is very little in how Chiefs are playing which mirrors the teams and style of their glorious past. You have a team who tries to high press, but the defensive line is usually camped quite deep. This does not tie up well as the spaces in between are too big. You have an Amakhosi side who plays short from goal kicks, but they don't have many midfielders (Maart aside), who can receive short passes in tight spaces so Msimango and especially Dove and Kwinika tend to hit long diagonal passes. Why even ask Bvuma to play short initially? At times, the goalkeeper will also pump the ball forward. Chiefs are extremely focused on, and occasionally effective at, transition moments and counter attacks. Yet they don't bring all their players back to draw opponents out to make space to exploit. We have lots of things in the style that don't really make sense and it feels like the approach is disjointed. Perhaps Johnson is missing his trusty sidekick Alan Clark, who tended to do a lot of the coaching on the training ground at Platinum Stars, SuperSport United and Black Leopards.
We have covered the lack of flair and dribbling in the ranks and that is partly down to using guys like Shabalala or Ngcobo in the wide areas instead of more natural wingers. Another factor is the complete confusion over how to maximise Ashley Du Preez. Against Stellenbosch FC alone, he played three different positions. The speedster started playing behind Duba as a number ten/second striker, but he moved to the number nine role at half time. Once Chivaviro came on, Du Preez was used out on the left. When you spend R10 million on a player, you should know what his best position is by now! Overall, the best way to summarise the 'style' at Chiefs right now is from Johnson himself. He bemoaned the display against Stellenbosch FC and that at least shows he isn't deluded or living with his head in the sand! Cavin told SuperSport TV: "I thought the performance we put on tonight was not even half the performance we put on Saturday. We just didn't get it right tonight, I'm not happy with the performance of a lot of the players. The players need to play proper technically, they need to be better technically. In a lot of moments where we have to play, they have to pass the ball better. Play proper ball, don't just kick the ball and that for me is very disturbing from my players."
