New Asante Kotoko coach David Duncan has won all his three opening games but has identified the need for back-ups in his team.
On paper, the porcupine warriors look to have the richest squad among the 16 topflight teams but somewhat looks not very balanced as the new gaffer is calling for back-ups to certain key positions due to the demanding nature of Kotoko’s fixture schedules.
Duncan, 51, in addressing the media after Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Liberty Professionals said:
“It was quite an impressive game from both teams.”
“We decided not to start off on a whirlwind fashion because virtually in the last three weeks thereabout, we have been travelling more than we have been training and playing matches – right from Algeria, through Bechem and the most arduous one, an 18-hour journey to Bolga and back all in a space of less than a week.”
“Kotoko presently has a very thin squad so it is virtually the same crop of players who are playing week-in-week out on the occasion that duty calls on them to serve,” he explained.
“We will work on a training schedule that will give them enough rest and the kind of programs that we need to put in place… That is the reality on the ground, we might have to deal with it.”
“But in the short term, we also would consider back-ups and I can assure you the players that we intend to bring I can assure you from my previous experiences and my relationship as it were with players that I’ve worked with in the past, they won’t cost Kotoko anything but of course they will be players who on any day will be the envy of any club.”
“We are working to salvage that kind of a situation where we would have to rely on just a limited number of players. We have quite a number of them alright in other departments but I think we are also short in some departments that we will need back-ups.”
But this season’s two transfer windows have already been exhausted and the club can only reinforce with players who qualify under the special dispensation rule.
Supersport.com sources reveal that the porcupine warriors are in talks to sign two free agents – former Berekum Chelsea right-back Samuel Kyere and former Ghana U-20 centre-back Daniel Addo. Both players have ended their respective spells abroad and are back in the country.
The former Hearts of Oak trainer also confirmed changing he roles of certain players in his team. Emmanuel Asante, who came in as a left-back at the start of the season has lately been deployed as part of Kotoko’s midfield quartet – a role he has excelled in so far.
“I’m also making certain changes that will make it look like certain players who used to play somewhere else other than presently might perhaps not go back there again so we need to reshuffle our cards. I do not need to disclose them now because we have not exhausted discussions on them.”
SOURCE: SuperSport