From fickle fans to low squad morale: Five challenges for Jonevret

JOHANNESBURG: Yesterday, new Orlando Pirates coach Kjell Jonevret gave the impression he knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he took the hottest seat in South African football. The Swede seems like a heck of a nice guy, but will he thrive or crack under the pressure?

Here we look at the FIVE challenges the 54-year-old faces immediately, starting with his first game in charge against Polokwane City on Saturday: Squad morale The Pirates capitulation has been unraveling over the past three months under the notso-watchful eye of interim coach Augusto Palacios. It’s Jonevret’s task to lift the players out of the rut they find themselves in. Currently lying in 10th place and with a very slim chance of clinching the Premiership title, the coach is probably better off focusing on winning over the trust of the spine of the team than addressing questions around being in with a fighting chance of competing for the championship. He is almost having to start from scratch and has to put an end to the reported cliques within the squad. Mid-season arrival It’s often a doubled-edged sword agreeing to take over a team 17 matches into the season. Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza admitted that it would have been ideal to appoint a permanent successor to Muhsin Ertugral during the six-weeks break between December and February, but several candidates earmarked for the role were contracted to other clubs. Jonevret must believe he can deliver, seeing that he was bold enough to agree to a three-year contract. Not having had a pre-season means the coach arrives blind and will have to rely on what he seen in the recent matches – as awful as they were – and any information provided by assistant coach Harold Legodi. Oupa Manyisa A shadow of a player we saw three seasons ago, even with the captains’ armband. The fact that Khoza singled him out in yesterday’s press conference as a player the club needs to see play his best football again, is an indication that Jonevret has to try and manage him much better than his predecessors ever could. Manyisa, 28, only recently returned to action after he recovered from an ankle injury that kept him out for more than seven months. Expectations So far there has been very little Pirates fans can smile about, and this adds immediate pressure on the new coach. The Buccaneers are also celebrating the fact that the club is 80 years old, but the fans have spent more time sobbing and plotting pitch invasions than watching a team that can win a match. Fickle fans Jonevret seems to have done his homework regarding the rich history of the club. His target will be to settle the nerves of an impatient bunch of die-hard supporters, and he won’t have time with the Soweto Derby against archrivals Chiefs next up after the Polokwane City clash this weekend. It’s a stressful job if results are not coming and the Swede will nee more than his charm and good command of English to win the fickle fans over.