Stuart Baxter är hemma i Nyhamnsläge utanför Höganäs på vintersemester. För Alltid Fullsatts läsare listar tränaren sina höjdare från 2014.
Hope that everyone had a great Christmas and that preparations for the New Year are going well.
Foto: supersport.com
Number 1
I landed back in Sweden just before ’Jul afton’ to join up with my family after a quite unbelievable run with Kaizer Chiefs which after 18 league games (14 wins and 4 draws ) sees us 14 points clear at the top of the league and breaking all sorts of records along the way. Awesome work from the players! But my first highlight for 2014 is the League cup final against our old enemy Orlando Pirates. We had got to the final after six games and not conceding a goal so the final at the fantastic Moses Mobida Stadium in Durban was sold out. We blew them out of the water 2-0 in an exciting derby in unbelievable atmosphere.
Number 2
…on my list is the World Cup game(?) between the hosts Brazil and Germany. In an incredible demonstration of efficiency, skill and speed the Germans demolished the dreams of a Nation and proved once again Gary Lineker right when he said; ”Football is a game played by 22 players for 90 minutes and the Germans win in the end.”
Number 3
…is ” El Classico ” from October. The 3-1 scoreline reflected the quality of Real Madrids response after Barca took the lead and seemed to be tactically on top with their three central midfield players dominating. A pulsating game of unbelievable quality.
Number 4
…comes from the Bundesliga but is not one single game. I am taking the reconstruction of Bayern Munich by Pep Guardiola . How he has taken an already formidable team, fused into them his belief in moving the ball and moving your opponents and at the same time been flexible enough to allow the character of the team to develop . They can now play with Peps passion for possession and then inject the penetration at speed when needed. Only the best Coaches can do that and Van Gaal faces that challenge at Utd.
Number 5
Lastly, a highlight for me was a game in Soweto on a pitch full of holes between two teams selected by African eagles organisation.Kids can only play for the Eagles if they attend a percentage of classes in school. I attended as coach for Kaizer Chiefs and the energy, happiness and total lack of ego put me in a mental place that i hadn’t been for a while. These kids could play !! On this surface they played their hearts out for an hour in 35 degrees heat for an apple, a sandwich and pat on the back. The smiling faces on the photo afterwards with me and couple of our players warmed the heart and reminded everyone that this great game is not only about Brazil, Bayern and Barca. Football is owned by the people who love the game , have hopes and dreams and do their best. Supporter , player, coach or groundsman.
Thats my five. Have a safe New Year celebrations and an outstanding 2015.
Yours in Sport
Stuart
