Some club chairmen sign players they like, says former Chippa United coach Thabo September

Thabo September says some of the biggest decisions in the PSL are made before match day, with coaches at certain clubs having little or no influence over player recruitment.

The former Chippa United coach has described contrasting approaches to transfers in South African football, claiming that some chairmen personally choose players without considering whether they fit the team’s style or tactical plans.

“There are club chairmen who are signing players for their coaches. It depends on what club you are in though,” September told KickOff.

At more professionally run clubs, September says the technical director and head coach are involved in a structured process. Those clubs, he explains, usually have a defined football philosophy and recruit staff to ensure the team follows that approach.

“Sometimes the technical director will consult the coach, and agree on players they will bring in. But that’s more in professionally-run clubs because they have a philosophy on how they want to play. That is why they hire a technical director to guide the team to a certain direction they prefer. A coach goes through a lot of green light before they sign a player at these clubs.”

In that model, a coach is not able to bring in a player without approval. Recruitment decisions pass through several stages because the club wants any new signing to support its preferred way of playing.

September says the situation can be very different at other teams, where the chairman’s personal opinion may determine which players arrive.

“Then you get teams where the chairman makes a decision based on him liking a player, not signing the player based on how the team wants to play. The chairman wakes up today and because he liked a certain player, he signs that player.”

He described the effect on coaches, who may only discover that a signing has been made when they report for training.

“As a coach, you arrive at training and you see a new face. You ask the chairman, he tells you, ‘Eish, I have forgotten to tell you, coach, we’ve signed this player. Don’t worry, coach, he is already part of the team, just use him.’”

For September, that leaves coaches at those clubs with responsibility for managing players they did not request and whose qualities may not suit their plans.

“At those clubs, you have to work with whoever is being given to you,” adds September.