Asante Kotoko head coach Eric Tinkler has responded to criticism of his poor playing pitches in Ghana comments, saying the condition of the fields affects the quality and entertainment of football.
Former Ghana Premier League coaches Yaw Preko, popularly known as Zito, and Maxwell Konadu have criticised Tinkler over his comments about the poor state of some pitches used for league matches.
Tinkler, however, said the opinions of others do not necessarily make them right. He also explained that he avoids social media because of the negative comments and opinions often shared there.
“People want to criticise. Like I said, I’m not on social media. I stay away from it because I know there are only going to be bad comments and bad opinions, so I don’t follow it,” Tinkler stated.
The South African coach said his concerns about the pitches are not an attempt to make excuses for poor results. Instead, he believes the condition of the playing surface directly affects how teams can play, and the quality of football supporters watch.
According to Tinkler, a poor pitch makes it difficult for teams to play attractive, passing football. He said players may be forced to rely on long balls when the surface does not allow them to keep possession and build attacks properly.
“It’s about entertainment. How are you going to be entertained when the pitch is not in good condition?” he asked.
Tinkler compared the situation to old-style English football, where teams often relied heavily on long passes because of difficult playing conditions.
“How are you going to be entertained if we go back to old-school English football, where we’re just playing long balls because the pitch only allows us to do that?” he said.
