Chippa United boss Brandon Truter confident slow start can be turned around

Chippa United coach Brandon Truter says he is not worried by his team’s difficult start to the league season and believes they will soon improve.

Chippa remain without a win after their opening matches, having drawn twice and lost once. Their latest result was a 3-0 defeat by Orlando Pirates at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on Sunday, leaving them 13th in the table.

Truter, who joined Chippa United towards the end of last season, identified lapses in concentration as the main reason for the poor start. He said the team’s priority was to address the period in which they conceded all three goals against Orlando Pirates.

“Lapse of concentration, and these are the moments we can improve on. So, this is not a concern for me, it was the 30 minutes where we conceded the goals which we should rectify,” Truter told the media during the post-match press conference.

The coach believes the problem is psychological rather than a sign of deeper weaknesses within the squad. Despite describing the result as difficult to accept, he remains confident that Chippa United can correct their mistakes.

“It’s mental, it’s nothing which we can’t fix. It’s a tough one to take, but we will move on to game number three of the season. It’s a Chippa team that will get better, fix one or two things.”

Truter also suggested that the team’s conditioning may have contributed to their sluggish performances at this early stage of the campaign.

“Conditioning might be a factor coming into this stage of the season, we’ve not adapted,” he said.

Several players arrived at the club late and were unable to complete a full pre-season, but Truter said the coaching staff were working to resolve the issue.

“We also had players who joined us late and didn’t have a preseason, we are leaving no stone unturned to fix [this]. We have time to fix it.

“It’s a good team we’ve assembled, and I’m pretty confident that we will have a say in the Nedbank Cup and Carling Cup as well as also in finishing in the top eight.”

Chippa United’s preparations have also been complicated by a lack of access to their usual home venues. Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and Buffalo City Stadium are unavailable because of scheduled pitch maintenance and re-turfing in the Eastern Cape.

As a result, the Chilli Boys have had to play their home fixtures away from home. Their first two matches of the season were staged in Dobsonville and Durban, circumstances Truter believes have made it harder for the team to establish a settled routine.

The coach said the lack of a regular home base was another factor affecting the side as they attempt to build momentum.

Chippa United’s next fixture will be away against struggling Siwelele on 25 August. Truter’s side will be seeking their first victory of the season and an opportunity to begin moving up the table.