From build-up to second ball
Huge defensive improvement
The one area where the club look a long way better under Zinnbauer is defensively. He initially oversaw a massive improvement. Having leaked 20 goals in 13 league matches at the start of the 2019/20 season, Bucs conceded just six goals in the first 12 matches under the German coach. This campaign, the backline has been satisfactory but not as watertight. Pirates have six clean sheets in their 18 matches, with 15 goals conceded, at the time of writing.
They scored first against AmaZulu and Stellenbosch FC in their first two league games but conceded equalisers within 15 minutes or less of taking the lead and could only take a point from each of those matches. They fell behind to Baroka and could only draw and twice trailed against Cape Town City to leave with a share of the spoils. Bucs once again drew 1-1 with Swallows FC and 1-1 with TS Galaxy after being 1-0 up in both as their leads only lasted 10 minutes or less. Against SuperSport United, Pirates led 1-0 at half time but could only walk away with a draw in the end.
This throwing away of leads is what is costing the Buccaneers a genuine title challenge but also their inability to score a second goal and kill the game. Trailing 1-0 to Zinnbauer’s team is nothing to be afraid of as they tend to go into their shells instead of going for the jugular. Having said that, the side look far more solid within matches and opponents don’t create many clear opportunities against them. A couple of Richard Ofori errors and some sloppy set-piece goals have cost them badly.
Make no mistake, the Soweto giants play some lovely combination play in the final third. They are capable of sending runners away down the channels, implementing their famed underlapping runs from either their binkosi Lorch, and using interplay and cutbacks around the box. However, the patient build-up play seen under Milutin Sredojevic and Rhulani Mokwena is much more scarce now. Instead, Pirates mostly look to go long from their goal kicks or build-up play and either look to pick up second balls or play deliberate longer passes into the channels.
If we try to use very basic stats to see if there has been a change in style of play – in addition to what the video footage tells us – we can get an idea of whether Pirates are focusing less on build-up play and high possession numbers.
If we look at the basic measures of Pirates in their 73 league matches played under the tutelage of Sredojevic as head coach (with Mokwena as assistant) and then under Mokwena as interim head coach, we can compare that to how Pirates are playing under Zinnbauer this season. Under the previous coaches, Pirates averaged 537 passes per match and enjoyed 58% ball possession. They also completed 84% of their passes. Under Zinnbauer this term, Bucs have some differences in their numbers. Firstly, they are still averaging 13 shot attempts per match, so that has not changed. They are producing less shots on target though,
Zinnbauer’s side have averaged 54% of the ball possession, a significant difference of 4%, whilst they make 52 less passes per match now and at a slightly lower accuracy. Wha is the reason for the change in style The biggest difference is that arriva of Ofori and Thulani Hlatshwayo in defence. Neither player is particularly adept at building up from the back Whilst neither is overly weak at this aspect, Pirates have instead looked to hit most of their goal kicks long from the back as opposed to splitting the centre-backs very wide and play out at every opportunity. Ofori ha hit 136 long passes in the 13 league matches he has played this season, an average of more than 10 per match Hlatshwayo tends to largely look for diagonals or long passes into the righ channel whenever he is closed down.
There is no right or wrong way to do things. Having lots of possession can lead to dropping midfielders very deep to build play or using spare men in that phase and therefore having fewer players in attack. It can also be a way to control and dominate matches and be a very effective defensive mechanism to protect lead – simply keeping the ball away from the possession means that they can’ score. The change in style is interesting even if no judgement can be made just yet on which style is “better”.
Last two results – SuperSport and Maritzburg
In the last week, Pirates have had