Given FN Rangers’ position at the summit of Stream A in the ABC Motsepe League, one would expect head coach Arreshaat Daniels to be a satisfied man.
After all, Rangers remain the pacesetters following a hard-fought 0-0 draw against struggling Cape Town Spurs at their Royal Road fortress in Maitland, a result that ensured they retained their place at the top of the standings with a two-point lead over Hanover Park FC
However, the former professional footballer has surprised many with his assessment of Rangers’ start to the campaign.
While most coaches would gladly accept leading the stream at this stage of the season, Daniels insists his side’s performances have fallen short of the standards they have set for themselves.
“To be honest, we’re not happy with the fact that we dropped points to Spurs at home,” Daniels told No Bones with Jones. “I’m sure many coaches would love to be in this position, but we’re really not happy with our current inconsistent performances, especially at home.
“We know that every game is going to be difficult and we try to gather as much information as possible on our opponents so we can prepare the boys properly for every match. Our creativity in the final third has let us down in a few games.”
Despite being unbeaten after eight matches which include five wins and three draws, Daniels believes there is still significant room for improvement if Rangers are to maintain their challenge throughout the season.
Their next assignment sees them travel to Wynberg Military Base to face Bradley August’s Inter City FC, a side that has endured a frustrating start to the campaign but remains capable of troubling any opponent on its day.
Daniels expects another stern test for his league leaders from Cape Town Tygerberg.
“We’re really working on fixing that and Friday is going to be a real test against Inter City,” he said. “The boys know the challenges that lie ahead and they know they need to up their game.”
