Posted in News on Jul 21, 2006.
Instead most of the arm chair critics were rounding on the coach for playing a 4-5-1 system which infact was untrue as Chiefs had begun the game with two strikers on Tuesday.
Playing along side Shaun Bartlett and given the freedom to attack by the coach was Gert Schalkwyk he usually plays in a midfield holding role, as the young midfield got into some good goal scoring opportunities no one had picked up that he indeed was playing in a striking role. At times he was further forward than Shaun Bartlett and had been playing far deeper than the former Bafana Bafana striker had been playing.
Commenting on the role he was given by the coach and that he was practically given the freedom of the park by Ernst Middendorp against Manchester United Gert said “the coach basically told me to go out and help create the spaces and get as much of the ball in dangerous areas which would put the opposition under pressure. I think from our over all performance against them it was clear that we did have United in some trouble for spells of the game, what we needed to do was take advantage of the opportunities when they fell our way”.
The explosive Amakhosi midfielder was equally impressive in Chiefs second Vodacom Challenge game as he came off the bench as a second half substitute to seal victory for Chiefs with a well taken headed goal, which looped over Francis Chansa before being guided across the goal line with the aide of the cross bar. Schalkwyk said of his well executed goal against Pirates “we really have been working hard on all aspects of our game and it was actually nice to see that we were able to conjure up a goal out of a free kick, all of this takes a good team effort.
Thabo took a good set piece and I was thankful to have been able to have judged the ball accurately and got it in the net, to me it really does not matter that the game was an exhibition game scoring victory against Pirates is what the goal meant”.
Schalkwyk has also been pleased by the way the midfield players have linked up and his happy with the combination play of the midfielders saying “David Mathebula’s nimble footwork has really been good he gave Pirates a rough time with his speed and his over all ability to keep possession in difficult situations.
Siyabonga Nkosi has been doing a wonderful job in the centre of the park and the crosses have been coming in from left and right, at this point we must get stronger and stronger we are really going to be a force in the PSL this season”.
About Saturday’s Vodacom Challenge Final Schalkwyk feels that Chiefs do possess the beating of United “after they defeated Pirates with a heavy score line most people expected a similar result when we met them. I don’t want to be over zealous or anything like that but we have a classy team who can put on show.
On Saturday if we do not perform the same way if not better than we did in the first game than we would have let down ourselves and the supporters”. In Schalkwyk’s eyes what factors will once again be key for Chiefs to get the kind of result that will do South African football proud as he says “we know what our strengths are and we need to play to that, against Man U we need to be strong at the back.
We have over the past three seasons established ourselves as a team with a strong defence and the way our guys have played at the back has strengthened that tradition”.
Gert will be looking forward to Saturday’s game and will be happy to return to his home town of Klerksdorp in the North West Province on Sunday and tell the tale of the day he wrestled with Manchester United.
After having spent the last ten days in camp firstly in the mountains outside of Stellenbosch Gert will be looking forward to having a few days of rest with his family, as Chiefs will return for training on Tuesday morning.
