STUART Baxter is a saviour!
That is the belief among SuperSport United players, who have hailed Baxter for helping them salvage this season by winning the Nedbank Cup.
After a disastrous start to their Absa Premiership campaign, which saw them sneak into the top eight bracket on the final day of matches, United ended the season with a bang.
Matsatsantsa a Pitori brought Orlando Pirates back down to earth in a five-goal thriller to bag the Ke Yona trophy and the R7 million winners’ prize money with a 3-2 final score.
They attribute their victory over Bucs at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday to Baxter, whom they rate as a master tactician.
Jeremy Brockie, Bradley Grobler and Michael Boxall scored for United.
Skipper Dean Furman credited Baxter for getting them out of their slump five months ago: “He gives credit to the players but honestly, he’s just being generous. He is the one who should be praised. When he came in the spirit in camp was low and results were not coming. We were doing poorly with the same squad we have now.
“He came in and we knew he was a winner. We were very receptive to his methods and did what he wanted us to do. He turned what would have been a forgettable season into a memorable one. It’s a great way to end the season.”
Michael Morton, who was one of the star performers in the cup final, said he hoped Baxter would lead them to the Premiership title next season: “He is a great coach and we hope to go for the big one next season. We can win the league next time around.”
Goal-scorer Brockie also reserved some special praise for his coach: “What a coach! He made an immediate impact. We can’t wait for next season.”
