The tactician added that they must improve their performance despite some good results as they have set the bar very high
Royal AM head coach John Maduka has claimed they are now a target for Premier Soccer League sides, especially after their results against Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
On September 18, Royal AM defeated Amakhosi 4-1 and picked up a point against Bucs on Thursday after a one-all draw and Maduka believes the results means their league rivals are taking notice of them.
Setting the bar high
“After the Chiefs game, you make the players understand that it is not all games that you are going to win 4-0, 4-1 or 3-0. Champions are made by teams that go out there and try to win a game 1-0. It is not going to be easy,” Maduka told reporters after the 1-1 draw against Pirates.
“Each and every team, after the performance we have been giving in the past games, wants to shoot us down. So, it becomes tough and we have to take our game to another level. So, Pirates would not have underrated us because they know what we are capable of.
“Had they underestimated us, we would have punished them. They had to approach the game with respect for us. Players going to each and every game must expect they are going to be very difficult because of what we have done to ourselves.
“We have set the bar high, and if we have set the bar this high, it is important for us to make sure we play in each game to the best of our ability.
“It is very important for us to work hard and like I said, everyone wants to shoot us down because we are a target and so it is very important to work hard and try to make sure we take one game at a time.”
Maduka also analysed their game against Bucs and pinpointed areas where they erred: “We made mistakes, including losing possession unnecessarily. Our decision making was not right, but as the game progressed, we got better and better until we got the goal,” he added.
“After the goal, we resorted to losing possession, especially when we were not pressed.
“We are not a team that losses the ball cheaply like that but maybe it is because of the tension of playing against the best team in the country. We were supposed to defend better, position ourselves better, but we gave the goal away.”
Next up, Maduka’s players will be up against SuperSport United on November 2.
Be the first to comment