Micho urged to stop tinkering
Makhanya feels Lorch, Nyauza should return
Following Orlando Pirates’ timid start to the season, former midfielder Joseph “Dukuduku” Makhanya has urged the Buccaneers’ coach, Milutin Sredojevic, to revert to the starting line-up that helped the Soweto giants finish as the league’s runners-up last term.
Pirates have had a shaky start to the campaign as they’ve won only one of their four opening league fixtures, suffering two defeats and a draw. The Sea Robbers were also knocked out of the MNT8 in the quarterfinal by SuperSport United a fortnight ago.
“I think it’s too early to panic but the coach must start using all the players who played a key role last season. I want to see players like Luvuyo Memela, Ntsikelelo Nyauza and Thembinkosi Lorch getting back into the starting lineup,” Makhanya told Sowetan on Monday.
Sredojevic has chopped and changed his starting XI and in Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Bloemfontein Celtic, had returned Thabo Matlaba and Thamsanqa Gabuza to the team, both lasting 90 minutes.
Despite roping in a finishing specialist in Stephane Adam before the start of the campaign, Pirates have so far struggled to bury their chances.
Pirates have failed to score from open play in their four league matches. Their two goals thus far were an own goal at Chippa and a penalty at home to Highlands Park.
Makhanya thinks Bucs’ goalscoring problem will be a thing of the past once Gabuza regains his confidence. The retired winger insists Gabuza is the right man to spearhead the Bucs attack.
“It is unfair to put all the blame on Gabuza. He’s still battling with confidence. I am positive that once he gets his morale back, he’ll score a lot of goals,” noted Makhanya of a striker who failed to connect with the ball from a great angle against Celtic on Sunday.
“By getting those chances, he is proving that he’s a good striker. He’s the suitable striker to lead our attack.”
Before the start of the season, the Soweto heavyweights went on a shopping spree, signing players like Vincent Pule, Kudakwashe Mahachi and Linda Mntambo among their nine recruits.
This raised expectations that the Sea Robbers were going to dominate from the onset but so far the newcomers have not really found their feet.
Bucs next travel to Black Leopards next week.