Johannesburg - Former AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy has shared his views on the changes expected to happen at his old club.
Now in a more lofty attacking coach position at English Premier League side Manchester United, McCarthy has opened up about what he sees as long overdue exits that held him back during his time at Usuthu.
The 45-year-old feels that AmaZulu’s drop from when he was released has served as a wake-up call for all of the elements he requested to be reviewed during his time there.
“There were people at the club that weren't on par with me and my technical team and I felt like there were people at the club who took you five steps back after making 10 steps forward, it was like constantly fighting opposition from within your own club,” Benni told Marawa Sports Worldwide.
“You have to make hard decisions in football if you want to succeed. And now after all this time, I see now that they are making these changes that I wanted because of where the club is.”
AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu recently announced that the club would be letting go of members in all departments, as they seek an improvement on the previous campaign.
AmaZulu finished the season in 12th place on the Premiership standings, just three points above the relegation zone.
The Cape Town-born man was crowned the 2020-21 Coach of the Season as he led the Durban club to an unprecedented second-place finish that season, ensuring their first-ever qualification for the Caf Champions League.
McCarthy also believes if AmaZulu had worked with him at the time and made the requisite adjustments both in the backroom and the playing personnel, they would still be among the top four teams in South Africa.
“If they bared with me at the time and made the changes while I was there, I would probably still be there and in charge of a team that finishes in the top four,” he explained.
"The club, president and chairman didn’t see the potential I saw at that time and they didn’t want to advance and to build on the season we had when we finished second and finished in a Champions League spot.
"When you don’t want to make changes because you have had success with a group of players and refuse to refresh the squad, you are making a huge mistake and that’s what happened … And now AmaZulu are back to where they were when I first walked in the door.”
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