Barker on how Stellenbosch have changed style of play since last season

Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker has opened up on how his side has changed the style of play since the previous season.

Barker’s troops will play their first cup final in the top-flight since they were promoted to the DStv Premiership in 2019. They take on TS Galaxy on Saturday, 16 December at the Moses Mabhida Stadium at 3:00 pm.

Stellies have emerged as a little-known strong contender in almost all competitions in the past two seasons. Barker believes changing their playing style has allowed them to challenge for all competitions.

He says in their first two campaigns in the DStv Premiership, they were playing “survival football”. He feels they have improved in a number of things to become a better side.

STEVE BARKER ON HOW STELLENBOSCH FC HAVE GROWN SINCE LAST SEASON

“I have always said that if you want to start challenging at the top end of the table, you have to be able to play in different ways,” said Barker.

“When we first started in the PSL, our first two, three seasons, we sort of played more survival football if I can put it that way. 

“You may not be that brave, you are not as sort of enterprising as you’d like to be as a coach but you have to sometimes play the situations in what you are.

“But I do believe over the last year and going into this year. We’ve become a team that’s good at a lot of things, whether we’re transitioning, building up, keeping possession or defending as a unity.

“I just believe that finally, you have to be proactive, you’ve got to try and take the initiative.”

It will be the second cup final for Barker since he started his career professionally. He led AmaTuks to the Nedbank Cup final in 2009 where they went on to lose to Moroka Swallows.

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