Beggars can't be choosers!

And so it came to pass, even with no money down and ten percent of next sale, there were still no takers.

After looking at the club reputation, and its relative place in the hierarchy of South African football, perhaps I shouldn’t have been as harsh to judge our prospects at the beginning of the season.

While it was true enough that the media didn’t give us any hope of promotion, I believe that the fans and the Board would be disappointed if we didn’t win promotion to the Prem League.

Looking at the club on balance;

We have the highest average attendance (circa 11K per home match), the next best is Bloem Celtic with 10K and then it drops off markedly. Some of the away fixtures have been lucky to draw crowds of 500.

I shouldn’t have read anything into our lack of season ticket holders, as it appears no club in the National First Division have any.

I scoffed at the ticket price being GPB3.40, but even the top two teams (reputation wise), the Pirates and the Chiefs – competing at the next level, are only charging GBP7.00

I am concerned about finances in general, not so much from Dynamos standpoint, as we are slowly inching our way into sustained profitability. The asking prices of any of the South African players who are on existing contracts is almost farcical. While I have taken a 10K transfer budget and have slowly built on that during my tenure, it is still only 130K now. I fail to see how clubs are therefore able to pay what I perceive as “over the odds” for average players, and yet still retain a sound financial footing.

My finances levels are marked as “okay”, but with a small squad gunning for promotion, we are only an injury away from finishing fifth. Even if we gain promotion, I am doubtful that we would be competitive for any length of time, taking into consideration our weak financial standing; small squad, poor facilities and reputation which gives rise to our inability to attract the calibre of players that we would need to mount a consistent challenge within the Prem Division. I am forever hopeful, and have been grateful that I have been able to pick up some fantastic players for very little compensation and the utility value of my starting players has been priceless, as I had been using the grid as my starting tactic, but I have also been able to get players used to my 4-4-2 that I have been using with Derby and Osasuna, and yet another backup to the backup which I am still tweaking.

My 4-4-2 tactic hasn’t been anywhere near as successful as the grid, but I have found the wingers that are needed (ie speed merchants) aren’t as easy to find with the restrictions in the division.

The South African national side has just been named, for the African Nations Qualification matches. This shows the lack of quality players plying their trade in Africa, as well as the "value" of the players involved. Dynamos has a long way to go before we could even consider these types of players for the team, but that has to be the long term goal!


Even the media have picked up on the fact that most of the squad are playing overseas



I can day dream about the class, and cost of some of these players!

February ’14 review

Profit 63K for month;

Undefeated through the month; we have now confirmed our place in the playoffs, with eight games of regular season to play;

Board approval at 75%;

Wages well in control, transfer budget steady at 136K;

No movement from Board in relation to scouting outside Africa, nor junior recruitment;

No offers tabled for troublesome ‘Fatso Mashego.

Gcaba, Mashego and Sait have impressed in training.

The next three months are going to be particularly trying for our finances! We have five games (3 away, two home) during March, but then (at this stage anyway) only two each during April and May as the NFD draws to a close.

With my small squad, I am reluctant to engage in any friendlies with other clubs on the off chance that one of the players picks up a long term injury.

Results

Yusuf Mashego continued his rich vein of form, scoring in each match and collecting another eight goals in four appearances, we were also able to give new left back Radebe game time. In other milestones, Mngadi scored his first goal for the club, and veteran Ramudzuli inched closer to the fifty goal marker by slotting his forty-eighth, and first in eleven hours of football!

1.2.14 Home to Sivutsa Stars
We dominated possession (which is a rarity for us) and the result was never in question as Mashego scored twice in three minutes to record a 2-0 win. Keeping a clean sheet was also a relief for us, but it was overshadowed by a slight injury to left back Ngobeni, who has been something of an unsung hero for the team.

8.2.14 Home to Atlie FC
This 4-2 win was notable for a first goal for new striker Mngadi, and a hat trick for Mashego. A couple of anxious moments for us as Atlie came back to be two all through aptly named striker Excellent Walaza, but I always had confidence we would close the game out.
Key defender Edgards was injured in the first half and replaced by Sait.

15.2.14 Away to Batau
The away fixture to promotion seeking Batau was always going to be a tricky assignment for us. While they had the lion’s share of possession, they weren’t able to use it, and Mashego’s early goal from set piece play was enough for us to take a 0-1 win and the three points.

22.2.14 Home to Thana Royal Zulu
Injuries were prevalent during this game, as both sides lost two players to injuries, and we controlled the flow of this match otherwise, with Mashego scoring a brace and Ramudzuli scoring just before half time to record a 3-0 win.

Our run into the business end of the league is made slightly more difficult with back to back away fixtures against the second places Tuks (who are on a nine match winning streak to storm into promotion contention) and third placed MP Black Aces (they have been there or there abouts for the entire competition).

8.3.14

After two very different games against second placed Tuks (0-3 win) followed by a great 2-1 win against second placed MP Black Aces, Dynamos secure promotion to the Prem League.



Here's hoping that the promotion will help us secure better players and staff next season.

21.3.14

After a tougher than expected 1-3 win against Hanover Park, we have now drawn the Free State Stars away in the second round of the South African FA Cup.

This encounter will be a great measure of what we can expect in the Prem Division next year. With five games of the regular season left, Free State Stars and Golden Arrows look certain for the drop to the National First Division.

Oh what a dilemma I have. I have my starting keeper and captain Masabo, who it tied into a cheap contract until 2016, but Santos and Supersport are circling. Masabo is 19, and I think he has fantastic stats.



I have had tabs on a couple of goalies, and now I have Richard Ngobese available - who didn't want to know me earlier in the year - but at a much higher salary. Signing Ngobese would guard against Masabo leaving, but I am sure that both Masabo and Ngobese would need first team time.

I know the value of a great goalkeeper, but am also conscious of the fact that I do have another two coming in June '14

Argh!

My Board still won't discuss anything with me! I was particularly keen to talk through upgrades to facilities, scouting areas and junior recruitment...

1.4.14

March Review

Undefeated during the month, securing promotion to Prem League division in process;

Board approval now 77%;

Yunus Mashego, Masabo and Radebe impressive in training;

5K profit for month;

Wages within budget and transfer funds still 136K;

No movement from Board on issues raised;

Through to second round in SA FA Cup, versus Free State Stars in April;

Scouts already busy identifying transfer targets for next year.

Results

A rather harrowing month with the fixtures, as we met Tuks (who were second at the time) at home, followed by MP Black Aces (who were also second) at home. We found them both to be tough assignments, but after the win against the Black Aces, had secured promotion, so it was a wonderful feeling for both the team and the fans. Meeting semi-professional side Hanover Park should have by rights been a pushover, but when they scored first, it became an uphill battle. Futhermore, the Hanover Park game was strange as it was the first time for a while that Mashego’s name was absent from the score sheet. He is however, streets ahead from the next best in term of goals scored.

1.3.14 away to Tuks
A spiteful, bruising encounter where four cards were dished out, three to Dynamos, and our defensive midfielder Sithole was exceptionally lucky to remain on the field. Mashego gave us the lead before half time, and he scored another at the seventy-five min mark to give us some breathing room. Centre back Gomis scored his maiden goal for the club just before the final hooter to stave off any thoughts of a fightback from Tuks. The scoreboard records 0-3 win, but it could have been so different on another day.

8.3.14 away to MP Black Aces
The first half was a dour affair, not at all the spectacle that it should have been from the top two (as we were then) sides in the league. The deadlock was broken in the fifty first min, where set piece ball was fired in by Onana, deflecting from opposing left defender Gilbert on the way through. Mashego added another from another well worked corner move quarter of an hour later to be 0-2 up before Zambian striker Phiri added a consolation goal for the hosts before time. 1-2 win, and to be crowned champions after back to back wins against our closest opposition was extremely humbling and satisfying.

19.3.14 away to Hanover Park (1st round SA FA Cup)
Hanover Park are a lesser team in the eyes of the footballing world. We should have been far too strong and had the result sewn up by half time. Imagine my shock when not only did they strike first through Darryl Smith, but they then carried a lead through the interval and until the fifty fourth minute when Ramudzuli ran unto a perfect ball from Onana to tie it up. Hammers made no mistake from outside the box late in the game to pull away, and Gcaba added a bit of flattery to the score line with a thunderous fizzing goal in the referees time to record 1-3 win.

22.3.14 home to African Warriors
It was good to be home and it front of a stadium of fans. The possession was even and we had far more shots on goal than the opposition, but it was the visitors who scored first….and absolutely stunning goal from young forward Rantjanyaya stunned and silenced the crowd. We hit back immediately through Mashego and Hammers hammered the advantage home with a penalty prior to the break.
Centre back Lyle Peters tackled Hammers in the box, and comically, was injured in the tackle and carried off, only to be sent back out to be sent off for the offense. Mashego then sent the free kick into the back of the net to go 3-1 up. With a man down, the Warriors could not mount a challenge for the net, and worryingly neither could we. It remained a 3-1 win.

29.3.14 home to Vasco RSA
We controlled this game from start to finish, so it was again a concern that we went into the second half at nil all, and that Mashego only scored in the sixty third minute….and soon after was injured. I can take heart from the fact that Vasco never scored, and never looked like doing so, so we can be happy with the 1-0 win.

2.4.14

As expected, there was only mediocre players available through my academy, so I have signed the best of the worse to youth contracts, and have sent my scouts check out the youth prospects of other clubs, but based on what I have generated, and our financial position, it does not look promising for any sort of sustained assault on the Prem League.