Mamelodi Sundowns should dominate 2022/23 PSL Awards - Gavin Hunt

Hunt, while speaking to the media on Sunday, said, for a team leading the log by close to 20 points, there shouldn’t even be a debate about the award contenders. 

This comes at a time when a section of football fans are raising the name of Orlando Pirates’ star midfielder Monnapule Saleng to challenge the likes of Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena and Cassius Mailula.

"No, when the Player of the Season awards come up, then they look at the last three or four games and think, 'Oh, he's played well.' You've got to look at it from game one," said Hunt.

"Look at what he's done, what he hasn't done, what the position [entails], what is the player of the year [criteria] – those types of things.

"For me, those types of things, you'll be shocked what I would say and what the majority of the league would say because there's only going to... you know.

"You can't go far wrong [this year] because the team that's winning or won the league by 20 points, I mean, there should be something there... Everything must come from there.

"What happened with us when we won the league three times [in a row, from 2007/08 to 2009/10], it never came from here – that was my debate, but let's not go there."

Hunt has also continued with United’s tradition of blooding in youthful talent, with 17-year-old Neo Rapoo having started at left-back and 20-year-old Thapelo Maseko providing an assist in their 2-1 win over Golden Arrows.

With more youth coming to the fore across the top flight this season, Hunt feels the skyrocketing transfer fees in the domestic market are behind this.

"Money... No money, you've got to make a plan. That's the bottom line, isn't it? That's the game. You can't buy players, so we'll have to make a plan and make players, and produce players like Arrows do every year, and we'll have to do the same," he added.

"So, the goalposts have moved and we have to do that. When I came into the job, that was in the script, so that's it."