After coming under pressure for his defensive rotational policy, Kaizer Chiefs coach Giovanni Solinas insisted that he does not make his defensive changes just for the sake of it, writes DEAN WORKMAN.

Solinas has chopped and changed his central defensive pairing on an almost game by game basis this season as he continues to search for his strongest partnership.

This rotation policy saw Mario Booysen and Siyabonga Ngezana start last weekend’s Soweto derby defeat against Orlando Pirates, despite the pair only playing one game together all season.

The constant changes to the Chiefs backline have contributed to their defensive issues this season, but Solinas insisted, while speaking to the media in the build up to the Telkom Knockout quarter-final against SuperSport United, that the changes have not always been his decision.

‘Sometimes we have not been changing [centre back partnership] just for changing, we change because we have had players injured.

‘For example, Daniel Cardoso didn’t train for 10 days because he had a virus. No training for 10 days, he lost weight [and fitness] and so its not possible to play him in the derby.

‘Also, guys for me it’s not a problem playing one or another. When we played Free State Stars we played Mario and Siya and we played very well, won the game 2-0 and kept a clean sheet.

‘We need to believe in our players and give them a chance.

‘Yes I agree we need consistency in the back four because the understanding [will improve] the more they play together, but sometimes we not changing because we want to, we are forced into it by injuries or problems,’ concluded the Italian.

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