Supporters share their concerns

I don’t buy the story

“Before you called, I was just talking to a friend of mine about Lorch, to say there’s more to (the) Lorch (story), for me, than him being just injured. I think there are some underlying issues. Perhaps there’s a club that needs him or something. I actually wanted to say keeping Lorch, in his current state, does not benefit the club at all, so if he has to be released, then he should be released if that’s what he wants. But, ja, that’s my view. But I don’t buy the story that Lorch is just injured. I mean, it appears to me that there’s more to it than just that. Again, again, again, if Lorch is prepared to play for Orlando Pirates and he becomes the Lorch that we know he can be, he can contribute a lot to Pirates. I mean, it’s not just because now we have your Salengs and others that we find it easy to say he can

go if he wants to, but he must go where his heart is, where he can better utilised, if his heart is no longer with Pirates. Look, my gut feeling is that I don’t see Lorch returning to Pirates anytime soon because another

thing is that he is lacking match fitness. It’s going to take him some time before he returns to his full fitness, therefore he’ll have to start afresh. I also heard a rumour that Sundowns were interested in him, at some point. Also, remember that he was once said to be leaving for an overseas club somewhere and then Pirates wouldn’t allow him to leave. Ever since that time, Lorch has never been the same, so that tells you something. Maybe there are people who are courting him. But I really feel, from where I’m sitting, if Lorch’s heart is no longer with Pirates, we should release him. Because then he’s going to start having people sympathizing with him and saying, ‘If Lorch doesn’t play, then we’ll do this,

this and this.’”

I strongly believe it’s not an injury Mashudu Mundalamo – Pirates supporter

“To be honest, we need a player of Lorch’s calibre in the team, especially because of the creative role he plays in the team. But unfortunately, we are also in the dark regarding what is happening with him because we were told that he is injured, but the extent of that injury was never articulated to the fans. Other people are saying

that Lorch wants to leave the team and seek greener pastures elsewhere, but nothing has

been communicated officially to the supporters and even the team website doesn’t run stories on the Lorch injury and when he is going to come back. I was looking forward to seeing him being part of the

team in the MTN8, but he was not part of the team. When I looked at the pictures on TV, I don’t remember seeing Lorch as part of that team that went to Durban. So, it conveys a misleading message to the fans

as to whether indeed Lorch is really injured or if he wanted

to move and decided not to participate in team activities. The biggest problem that I

have with Pirates is that in terms of communication, they

are very, very poor. That’s the biggest concern for Pirates fans. And now I read in the local newspapers that Lorch wants to leave the team, but nothing has been communicated to the fans. Remember the issue of (Andile) Jali when he left? Remember when Kermit Erasmus left the team for France? Nothing official was communicated to us. We only read about it in the newspapers, our chairman never issued any communique to the supporters. So, based on that experience, I strongly

believe that it’s not an injury because we don’t even know the length of that injury. Even when they talk about injured players, if they mention them, they don’t tell us what is happening to the player. There’s no sufficient information coming out of the team. I think something is brewing there because once Pirates have a quality player making the starting XI, we have that tendency of neglecting other players who are not playing. I feel like the coach is satisfied with his starting XI and for now, he doesn’t need Lorch in the team. That’s my view. That’s why I wouldn’t be surprised if Pirates transfer Lorch in January, because he’s not even active in the team. We have played major games without Lorch. I know that even if you are injured, (in a) cup final, you have to be there. Remember the game against Bloemfontein Celtic when we won the MTN8? Lorch was injured before that game, but that day he was available, came in as a substitute and scored the winning penalty. I smell a rat in Lorch’s situation and it’s frustrating, to be honest! To

be a Pirates fan is very, very frustrating. We don’t know what’s happening with Lorch or when he’s going to be back.”