How Eric Tinkler survived the axe at Cape Town City

With City winning only one of their opening six DStv Premiership matches, as well as being knocked out of the MTN8 in the first round, it appeared as though Tinkler would walk. 

But the boss didn’t panic.

"He's a football man, so I think, when you judge coaches, you've got to judge them more than just on the last three results," Tinkler told SABC Sport.

"You've also got to judge them [based on], does he still have control of the team? Do the players still believe in the coach? Those are situations you need to look at.

"And you've also got to look at how it has happened that the team finds itself in the situation, and he understood everything that I just explained, [as well as] what our pre-season was like and what effect it had on the squad."

Having finished runners-up to Mamelodi Sundowns last season, City could finish fourth or fifth this time around, depending on the outcomes of their two remaining matches.

Tinkler believes the PSL could do with more club bosses like Comitis. 

"I think here in South Africa, we are trigger happy – [firing coaches] too soon, and I think we also show a lack of respect to the coaching profession," he added.

"Actually, John and I never had a relationship before. Obviously, when I sat with him, he got to understand what type of coach I am and what I want to achieve as a coach, which obviously made appointing me a lot easier.

"So, coming back [for a second spell], he knew exactly what he was getting in me, and we do have a positive relationship, but that is still one of 'chairman' and 'coach'."