Hunt: We lost Patrick to Pirates, we lost TT to Chiefs, what can I do

SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt insists SuperSport United should not judged too harshly for their 2-0 defeat to log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

Matsatsantsa suffered their second consecutive defeat in the league as goals from Lucas Riberio and Peter Shalulile sealed the victory for the visitors at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday.

READ | Mokwena hails record-breaking Sundowns

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hunt explained why he believes his side should not be judged on the match results.

"We had players earning single-figure digits out there tonight," Hunt said to the media. 

"I had nine under-18s on the bench, we’ve gone this route and we can’t be judged. 

"Last year we came third for the first time since I left the club, top four with what we had. But then we lost players.

"They brought the players from us. They’d be brilliant for us but we don’t have them so we lost that. We lost players, they bought players from us. We lost Patrick [Maswanganyi] to Pirates, we lost TT [Thatayaone Ditlhokwe] to Chiefs, what can I do? 

"We came third [last season], we should strengthen [but] we get weaker and weaker, so how good am I then?"

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"They buy the players, Sundowns buy the players, what do you want me to do? What can I do? We have a budget, we run with the budget, cut right down now. You’ve seen what happened, so the whole thing is filtered down and the club is obviously running much tighter now. 

"So, we’re fantastic from how we are doing. We sold a boy who was a starter for us, we sold him to Sundowns for a lot of money, fantastic but it didn’t help us. It doesn’t help the team," the coach explained. 

"But it helps financially to get one or two more in. We couldn’t use Ighodaro tonight, we couldn’t use Goss, okay. Would they make a difference? Sure, but it is what it is.

"So I’ve got to soldier on. The club is a different is a different club from when I was here the first time.

"When we won the league. It was more on an equal footing but then obviously, Sundowns bought all those players, Dennis Onyango, Pelembe, they all went so we had to build another team.

"You guys judge us when we lose a game, you judge us, but they should be beating us 8-0."

Despite the defeat, SuperSport keep their place at third on the DStv Premiership log table. Matsatsantsa now turn their attention to the CAF Confederations Cup where they take on USM Alger on Sunday. Kick-off is at 15:00.

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