The axe could fall on these coaches
THERE have already been six managerial changes in the Premier Soccer League this season and with a tough and demanding schedule to come once the programme resumes in February after the 2017 African Nations Cup in Gabon‚ there is every possibility there will be more.
But just who will those likely victims be?
Times Media Digital attempts to peer into the crystal ball and uncover the identity of the five coaches unlikely to compete the season bravado about laying waste to the PSL‚ the club find themselves in bottom spot at the halfway stage of the season.
Thobejane obviously enjoys the affection of his players but he seems out of place at the top level of the game and out of touch with reality.
The club have already made moves to change their coaching staff with former Chippa United boss Mark Harrison joining as technical director and new players being brought in by an increasingly concerned management.
After a third place finish last season‚ and qualifying Platinum Stars for the African Confederation Cup‚ this has been a season of some toil for the club with just three victories in 14 league matches and early elimination from two cup competitions. The 58-year-old Johnson has a deserved reputation at the top level of the game after also taking Stars‚ during his first stint at the club‚ to the runners-up berth in the league.
But did he take too much of a gamble on young talent this season‚ promoting a phalanx of players from the academy leaving the squad somewhat threadbare?
If Stars do not begin to win in the second half of the season‚ Johnson’s position will be under threat.
The Belgian has made a strong impact in his opening six months in the PSL and taken the under-resourced and poorly managed Polokwane City up to fifth place in the league standings.
But the 57-year-old has made no secret of his frustration with owner Johnny Mogaladi and the lack of facilities at the club and could be easily tempted away to a better opportunity.
Clubs like Orlando Pirates‚ Bloemfontein Celtic and Maritzburg United are looking for permanent appointments after leaving their teams in temporary command over the last months.
The ex-skipper of both Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates took just six months to become a major hit on the PSL coaching circuit as he turned around the fortunes of struggling Chippa United and took them to a first-ever top eight finish at the end of last season.
His possession-based game plan was widely hailed by other coaches but much of that lustre has been lost in the new campaign.
Opponents now seem to have Chippa figured out while Malesela struggles to achieve the same impact of the previous campaign.
Given that he works for a trigger-happy boss‚ failure to improve from February could prove costly. The pair are acting coaches at Maritzburg United and Bloemfontein Celtic respectively after the departures of Ernst Middendorp and Serame Letsoaka.
Maritzburg’s owner have been courting Roger de Sa as a potential replacement but Celtic are waiting to see how things go with Seema‚ the former Lesotho captain‚ because a cash crisis at the club means they do not have much money to attract a strong candidate. — TMG Digital