Mette not yet settled on Tusker starting lineup despite first league win

Newly appointed Tusker FC head coach Julien Mette has vowed to give every player in his squad a fair opportunity to prove themselves as he continues shaping his preferred starting XI and rebuilding a formidable side to challenge for the title next season.

Speaking after their recent outing against Murang'a SEAL — a match in which Tusker not only registered a 1-0 victory but also handed the French tactician his first win at the helm — Mette emphasized the importance of allowing his players to express themselves freely, admitting that fear and fatigue limited their performance levels in the second half.

“I want the players to play with freedom because when we scored the first goal, the players feared conceding, and that dropped our levels as they stopped expressing themselves.

“But if you compare the game against Shabana and this one, I can say I allowed them to make mistakes and play with confidence. With time, it will come. Today, I can say the boys were tired because we have played two away matches, which means fatigue, but they still played well,” underscored Mette.

Mette, who was appointed earlier this week to take over from beleaguered Charles Okere, revealed that he is working on changing the team’s approach by discouraging unnecessary long balls and encouraging a more patient, build-up style of play.

“I am discouraging the boys from playing long balls as they did against Shabana. I want them to play free-flowing football by building from the back and only play long balls when necessary,” added the Frenchman.

On team selection, the coach made it clear that no player is guaranteed a starting spot, insisting that competition within the squad will be key to achieving consistency, as he defended his decision to start Francis Oduor ahead of Thomas Teka.

“Francis Oduor, who came in place of Teka, did well. I did not drop Teka because he scored an own goal in the previous match, but because I want to give every player a fair opportunity to show me what they can do. Remember, I have four good centre-backs and I will give all of them a chance to prove they deserve to start. They must fight for their positions and for the club’s badge.”

Mette, who holds both CAF A and UEFA A licences, also pointed to depth and competition in midfield and on the wings, noting that he must assess every option before settling on his preferred combinations.

“Even in midfield, I have several players, especially on the wings, where the numbers outweigh those in central midfield. I need to see all of them before I decide who to settle on. Someone like Omole, who has been playing regularly, was not here today, but I can assure you everybody will have a fair chance to show me what they can do.”

Despite recent defensive struggles, including a lengthy run without a clean sheet, the former Djibouti national team coach insisted that results do not always reflect performance levels, citing their matches against Shabana FC and Murang’a SEAL as examples.

“Had we lost against Murang’a SEAL, it would have been because of a lack of confidence. It has been a long time since we kept a clean sheet, but it would not have meant we played badly. Against Shabana, we played well but lost. Football is cruel — you can play well and lose points, and you can play badly and still get the points.”

The tactician further revealed that he needs about five more matches to settle on his preferred starting XI. The upcoming fixtures include Kariobangi Sharks (away), Bidco United (away), Kakamega Homeboyz (home), AFC Leopards (away) and Gor Mahia (home).

With squad rotation and internal competition now central to his plans, Mette remains confident that consistency will come as players grow in confidence and adapt to his philosophy as the league enters the homestretch.

The newly appointed Tusker FC head coach, Julien Mette, has vowed to give every player in his squad a fair opportunity to prove themselves as he continues shaping his preferred starting XI and rebuilding a formidable side to challenge for the title next season.

Speaking after their recent outing against Murang'a SEAL — a match Tusker not only won 1-0 but also handed the French tactician his first victory at the helm — Mette emphasized the importance of allowing his players to express themselves freely, admitting that fear and fatigue limited their performance levels in the second half.

“I want the players to play with freedom because when we scored the first goal, the players feared conceding, and this dropped our levels as they stopped expressing themselves.

"But if you compare the game against Shabana and this one, I can say I allowed them to make mistakes and play with confidence. With time, it will come. Today, I can say the boys were tired because we have played two away matches, which means fatigue, but they still played well,” underscored Mette.

Mette, who was appointed earlier this week to take over from beleaguered Charles Okere, revealed that he is working on changing the team’s approach by discouraging unnecessary long balls and encouraging a more patient, build-up style of play.

“I am discouraging the boys from playing long balls as they did against Shabana. I want them to play free-flowing football by building from behind and only play long balls when it is necessary,” added the Frenchman.

On team selection, the French coach made it clear that no player is guaranteed a starting spot, insisting that competition within the squad will be key to achieving consistency, as he defended his decision to start Francis Oduor ahead of Thomas Teka.

“Francis Oduor, who came in place of Teka, did well. I did not drop Teka because he scored an own goal in the previous match, but because I want to give every player a fair opportunity to show me what they can do.

"Remember, I have four good centre-backs and I will give all of them a chance to prove they deserve to start. They must fight for their positions and the club’s badge.”

Mette, who holds a CAF A Licence, also pointed to the depth and competition in midfield and on the wings, noting that he must assess every option before settling on his preferred combinations.

“Even in midfield, I have several players, especially on the wings, where the numbers are more than in central midfield.

I need to see all of them before I decide who to settle on. Someone like Omole, who has been playing regularly, was not here today, but I can assure you everybody will have a fair chance to show me what they can do.”

Despite recent defensive struggles, including a lengthy run without a clean sheet, the former Djibouti national football team coach insisted that results do not always reflect performance levels, citing their mat