Broken Blue Hearts

struggled with the reality that the misfiring Glamour Boys are fast losing the sparkle that was drawing supporters to their matches.
A difficult run in the Castle Lager Premiership, coupled with a demoralising first round exit in the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history, have all combined to hurt the Dynamos brand.
And some fans have chosen to vote with their pockets by choosing to stay away from the team’s matches.
Coach Lloyd Mutasa, who started brightly in his biggest coaching job to date, has struggled to find the rhythm, which turned his team into pre-season magicians who conquered all, and artists whose brilliance mesmerised MC Alger in the first leg of their Champions League showdown at Rufaro.
Mutasa has quickly turned from hero to zero, in the eyes of some of the fans, with others yesterday questioning his pedigree to guide the team to success and claiming that Elvis Chiweshe, who quit at the end of last season when it emerged the Dynamos leadership were negotiating with another coach, was a better gaffer.
This time, last season under Chuchu, DeMbare had eight wins in nine, having won their first eight games and losing the ninth 1-2 against eventual champions Motor Action, had scored 13 goals and conceded three.
Now Dynamos have won just three out of nine matches, drawn three and lost three and, where they had 24 points out of 27 points last year, they now have 12 points out of a possible 27 this season.
This time, last season, DeMbare had negotiated their way past Gaborone United of Botswana – who had dumped Orlando Pirates in an earlier round – to book a routine place in the Champions League group stages and take their place among the continent’s heavyweights.
Now Dynamos are out of the Champions League, with only domestic issues to take care of, after surrendering a 1-4 first leg lead, in one of the most dramatic collapses in Champions League history, to crash out in the first round for the first time in 30 years.
While that away defeat in Algeria was masked by questionable officiating, with the first and second goals scored by the home team clearly disputable, it also brought to fore the shortcomings of this team when put under pressure.
Eight league matches after that disaster in Algiers, Dynamos have won just three games – with all the victories coming at Rufaro – and have failed to score, at home, against Hwange and Gunners.
Fans have started losing interest in their matches and, from a season high of more than 21 000 paying supporters in their Champions League tie against MC Alger in a game where conservative estimates claim there were more than 30 000 people at Rufaro, Dynamos’ last game against Gunners attracted 9 000 fans.
In just over two months of mediocrity, camouflaged by that isolated destruction of Masvingo United, Dynamos have lost about two thirds of the fan base that was there when Mutasa and his Class of 2011 launched their Champions League campaign against MC Alger.
Where have all the fans gone?
Why are the fans taking their backs on the Glamour Boys?
Yesterday Dynamos fans joined the Facebook debate, triggered by The Herald’s story related to falling attendance figures, as the club searches for answers in a tough period for the coach and his players.
Views From The Terraces
Chikwavava Stephen
I don’t like missing any of DeMbare’s matches, but of late the zeal has died down. We have seen worse squads than the current crop at DeMbare, Lodza (Lloyd Mutasa) was deceived by pre-season displays by his lads.
Lovemore Makombe
I feel sorry for the Dynamos fans and on Sunday I was there and felt really pity for our fans. They love their team to bits and it’s really hard for them not to win BUT let me assure you that this is not Lloyd’s problem alone. It involves everyone associated with our club.
There are so many mistakes that we have made and ignored. When the team starts winning you all forget that our house is on fire. All you want is a win, win, win, and then what?
For two seasons we have failed on the last hurdle but the blame lies with the gaffer but have you taken time to review what really was the problem with us all these years?
Lastly let me tell you that even if we fire Lloyd and bring in Sir Alex and acquire a gunslinger like Chicharito, Dynamos will never achieve anything in this house of horror. The picture is bigger than you imagine.
Dennis Mutungura
There is no way people will attend those DeMbare matches with what I saw the last time they (Dynamos) came to Bulawayo. There is no co-ordination whatsoever. Samaita (Lloyd Mutasa) is just clueless and it’s as if he is coaching a bunch of boozers.
Blessmore Mukize
Nyaya iripo ndeyekuti Chuchu (Elvis Chiweshe) is better than Lodza (Mutasa). Chokwadi chinenge rough varume asi chirichokwadi. Lodza is the first DeMbare coach kuburitswa mu first round ye Champions League. Makambozviwona kupi izvozvo? Bhora rake madhaka chaiwo especially mufanha wamunoti Madamombe uyu, kamba inotomhanya kupfuura iye wani.
Ndakanyara varume nanhasi ndichiri kunyara ndichiwona Leo Kurauzvione achishaina pamidfield Saints vs DeMbare. Leo here vakomana? Nyaya iripo ndeyekuti midfield ye DeMbare haina kusiyana nechitima chadambura maturera, haina kana kubatana veduwe. Regai timbowona asi to me the realistic log position for us at the end of the season is 10th with the rate that they are playing. Ndati chokwadi chinenge rough.
Benson Chikarango
You give them support parting with your hard earned cash and they give you crap. I would rather not go till they improve
Langton Kagwere
The dwindling supporting base, which we are seeing at the stadium nowadays, is because of the type of play being exhibited by DeMbare. In my opinion, it’s because of the experiments carried out by the coach Mutasa, day in and day out.
More often than not, he doesn’t change his game plan to suit the situation, a factor which has cost DeMbare a lot. As a die-hard fan, who always sits on the Vietnam Stand every Sunday, it’s high time DeMbare improve because they are breaking many hearts out here.
Bright Gatsi
Guys, if it’s your team they need your support, especially when things are not okay.
Gondai Mazhuwa
Inconsistency, coupled with inexperienced players and experiments from Lodza, it’s going to be difficult to win back the supporters’ hearts until such a time when they (technical team) reintroduce the DeBarca style which was dished out during the pre-season.
It needs one game to play that non-stop passing style to lure the fans back. Another issue, at the moment, is that if fans read at the back of The Herald a headline like DeMbare Is Back or DeMbare Unstoppable, the rest will be history and fans will flock back to the stadium. Lodza needs to put his act together.
Gift Jnr Sabumba
Great teams are not built overnight. Give them a chance and things will turn around soon. Staying away isn’t an option. DeMbare was built and relies on the supporters and a stayaway will only worsen the situation.
Nyoni Ignatius
It’s not a surprise that people are beginning to turn their backs on the most supported team in the country. It’s disheartening to find out that people have to part ways with their hard-earned cash, at least US$5, to witness the team misfire week in week out.
And, to rub salt into our wounds, Mutasa seems to be unfazed with the way the team is fast losing ground in the league race. l was really perplexed when he was quoted as saying, “even teams like Barcelona can lose to small teams like Hercules but still go on to win the league. The most important thing is that we have identified our shortcomings and we have rectified them.”
What rectification was he talking about when the team failed to score in six out of the nine matches we have played so far? He must shoulder the blame because how can he be so low in wisdom to include only three outright strikers in his 25-man squad forwarded to the PSL?
Surprisingly he even had the temerity to include four goalkeepers. I also don’t have any kind words for the executive which is failing to provide for our boys.
Are you telling me that the excessive midfielders he included in his squad were given to him for free? Before the season started we had the likes of Clive Mwale and Esau Amisi whom we were assured of probably getting as free agents but the coach didn’t want to have anything to do with them.
The likes of (Tafadzwa) Maingire and (Leo) Kurauzvione, he deemed they were excess baggage, are holding their own at Saints. Can anyone tell me where is Wonder Sithole? L’m saying he should have balanced his squad period.
If you can analyse the team close you will be made to understand that of all the departments, the strikeforce is apparently the weakest. The truth is that both the Dynamos leadership and the technical department have their own share of blame to shoulder.
Stanslous M Chitsike
Guys spare Lodza please, he doesn’t have the money to buy players. No proven goal-scorer in his squad and you still expect him to make orange juice from lemons. As for the dwindling support, guys zvirikuoneka kuti
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team haisi ku fire but team ndeyedu munhamo nematambudziko, thick and thin so please they need our support now more than before.
You can’t associate with a team only when it is winning. Where is that spirit that we exhibited when we were fighting relegation in 2005? Nayo nemumvura mese nayo kunyangwe pasi pemuti nayo? I understand these players were given to Dynamos by clubs who want to use DeMbare as a big stage to market their player and, in return, they will eventually smile all the way to the bank.
Executive haidi kuburitsa mari ichi investor in quality players and so what can Lodza do besides working with what he has. Lest we forget, what happened to Kompressor? (Ashley Rambanapasi).
Tonhodzayi Matanhire
Kana kwedu ku CAPS zvirikowo. I have since stopped watching Bambo’s CAPS kusvikira aenda handiuye ku ground.
Jacob Mutema Junior
Tingapisa imba nekuti maita mapete here varume? To get rid of a problem, we have to get the source dried up. Let’s rally behind our team through thick and thin.
Godfrey Lane Wakuma
The issue of fans staying away from games is now everywhere. Just imagine here in South Africa where Orlando Pirates played and won the Premiership with a mere 9000 supporters at their final game? Just consider the magnitude of that game. When the team loses these are the very people who are quick at pointing fingers, more and more the spirit of football is evaporating in this region.
Whether be it in Zimbabwe or SA the trend is on a one-way path. People let’s rally behind our teams because these are the lads who will represent us on national duties. I can only reminisce the DeMbare supporters of ‘98 where the stadiums where filled to the brim in almost every game. Ha mafesi what went wrong?
Tonde Everisto Shamuyarira
Guys, I beg to differ because I think the problem is with Mutasa. My big question to him is did he come to Dynamos to teach these young ones how to pray the Masowe type or he came to coach football? What happened to our pre-match formalities that he has changed with his Kiglon players? We should go back to our goal line prayers if we are to overcome this bad spell.
Lee Mutekede
When he accepted the job, Mutasa had his eyes wide open, he knew the executive he was going to be working with. There is no excuse here, the coach is failing to deliver period. The players at DeMbare can not be branded mediocre and neither are they average.
They are above average, most of them. The fans want to see results, results and results. If the trend continues on a losing and drawing note then the fans will surely stay away.
Gift Patrick
I drive all the way from Chinhoyi to Rufaro but I have stopped wasting my money going to see losses and draws. If they want us to come to their matches they have to regroup, especially the in the boardroom. They are leading us into the Zambezi, which is full of crocodiles.
Ernest Imbayarwo
It’s not that we are not playing well BUT the strikers we have a not very sharp and we need one gunman only. Things will start to flow on right direction
Kumbirai Muzimba
The archaic ownership structure at Dynamos contributes a lot to the current mess. During the early stages, staff was motivated because of playing for Dynamos alone. However, the absence of long term professional contracts killed the players’ spirits. We should’nt rely on players who are constantly looking for exits. Kick out the Shayas and the Marriots and publicly float the club. Results will come.
Malvern Mutemasango
DeMbare marwadzo and I am likely to join the stay-away club judging by what I saw on Sunday. The team needs an overhaul and the grey-haired men, most importantly, must let go and leave the club in more capable hands.
Barnabas Nemusasa
Ah, ko veKepeKepe vozoita sei? Ndokuspaka kwebhora machinda and I like that happening to my emotions, good for the heart, handei ku Rufaro vakomana, try kurovha ugoona kubhowa kwazvinoita kunzwa nevamwe kuti yahwina.