Ghost of blunders haunting Pirates, says new coach
ORLANDO Pirates are haunted by their recent flops and it will take time before they show a more confident and expansive side to their playing style‚ new coach Milutin Sredojevic said.
“The ghost of the past is still present with us‚ it is chasing us still‚” Sredojevic said in a reference to a still obvious timidity in Pirates’ play in what is a hangover from their horror last season.
The club finished without any silverware again and missed out on a top eight place in the Premier Soccer League.
“But we want to chase away that ghost to be able to play a different way,” the coach said.
“However, it is deep in the mind of the players and they are cautious when they have a lead‚ naturally retreating back to protect this small credit.”
Pirates took an early lead on Tuesday night in their PSL clash against Ajax Cape Town‚ won 1-0 by Bucs.
Although Pirates dominated most of the game at the Orlando Stadium‚ there were times when they seemed to sit back rather than look to add more to their goal tally, and had a problem with match fitness.
“The ghost of the past comes from the fact that this team has conceded so many goals in the last minutes of games‚” Sredojevic said.
“We have to work hard and make sure we have the game wrapped up long before the end.”
Sredojevic was careful not to criticise the work of any of his predecessors, especially Swede Kjell Jonevret, whose brief tenure earlier this year proved to be a major disappointment.
“Pirates are no ordinary case‚” he said of the psyche of his players.
“It demands a neurosurgeon-like operation and we are trying from every angle possible.
“They are proud boys – they know what it means to wear the badge of this 80-year-old club and the dreams of millions of our supporters.
“Every day we will work on the man-management aspect to put them in the right direction,” Sredojevic said.
“They are determined‚ they want to turn the corner.” –