Much has been made of Chiefs’ failure to land any silverware over the past four years, due to the club’s successful history as the most decorated outfits in South African football.
This is by far their longest dry run since their inception some 49 years ago, and the pressure has continued to snowball with each failed attempt at a cup or league title.
This season, the players themselves have conceded that the Nedbank Cup is their only realistic chance of ending this infamous drought, which makes this afternoon’s quarterfinal against Cape Town City so much more crucial.
However, Middendorp refuses to talk up this drought which began long prior to his arrival in December last year, and says the pressure of having to compete for tangible success is what his job is all about.
“Why should I be busy with providing numbers or years back? This question is not relevant for me,” argued Middendorp.
“We prepared ourselves for a quarterfinal and we can go to the semi-final, and if a coach says, ‘There’s no pressure…’ Listen, believe me, that’s absolutely nonsense.
“If you don’t have or feel pressure, and you don’t have the adrenaline to do your job with 100 percent passion and representing a brand with players in such a game – a sold out Nedbank Cup [quarterfinal], go home and sell insurance or do something else.”