Johannesburg - It takes special skill and years of experience to understand Augusto Palacios with his brand of English. Despite spending more than three decades in the country, the Peruvian’s tongue is still stubborn and has refused to adapt to South Africa. But when the Orlando Pirates interim coach spoke about the club’s problems, even the deaf could hear him because he was clear about what he was saying - going as far as describing the current crop of players as "babies".
“The club is bleeding, it needs players with character,” Palacios said after Pirates’ 2-1 loss to Bloemfontein Celtic.
“I would use another word, but there are ladies present here. Pirates need to have players who are hungry and who will die on the field. When you are comfortable with your salary and the coach is not playing you or you are not delivering, then maybe you should leave. I always tell them that when the chairman (Irvin Khoza) asked me to take over in 2012 for the last 12 games, I counted six strikers - Benni McCarthy, Tokelo Rantie, Ndumiso Mabena, Thulasizwe Mbuyane, Rudolf Bester and Drogba (Bongani Ndulula).”
Palacios continued: “It was very difficult to make a decision as to who to play, so you try and have different combinations. And then you go to the wingers, it was the same. The team also had big personalities in Siyabonga Sangweni, Lucky Lekgwathi, and Rooi Mahamutsa, defenders who were scoring goals.
“Who do I pick this time around? Nobody like that. But I have to work with the players I have, and that goes for the next coach who will come in. I can only wish him the best of luck, but he has a lot of work to do.”
That statement was significant because Palacios is part of the furniture at Pirates. He has seen the club at their best and worst in the years he has spent leading their academy, interrupted by brief moments as interim coach.
He has gladly taken that responsibility. In his last stint, in 2012. he took the Buccaneers to the finish line of the Absa Premiership with 12 league games to go after most of the spadework had been done. That was a glorious time for the Buccaneers. That league title made it six trophies in two seasons.
This season they would be lucky if they finish with any silverware, which will mark a terrible 80th anniversary party next year. Palacios was right to pin the blame of the clubs’ troubles on the players. The problem with Pirates is that they have good individual players - they don’t have a team. They don’t have a strong presence in the change room who will unite them for a common goal. At the moment it looks like everyone is only playing for themselves.
The club do not need a coach desperately - they need to change the mindset of their players. Before Palacios had even taken charge of one match, after Muhsin Ertugral’s abrupt resignation following the club’s 6-1 loss to SuperSport United in November, he spoke about instilling discipline at the club - arguing he won’t be a pushover. He would only make such a declaration if there were issues of ill-discipline to sort out.
The Buccaneers should spend this break doing some soul-searching. Even if they hire the best coach in the world, things won’t change if the players’ mentality is still the same.
Palacios has said all the right things, promising he won’t pick his team based on reputation and that he won’t allow players to do as they please. That’s all good and well, but that stance should be adopted by the club, right up to the management, not letting individuals do as they please.
It’s imperative for their sake that they do it as soon as possible - before the next coach comes in.
Pirates waited too long to refresh the squad that won six trophies in two years. There wasn’t a clear succession plan as to who will take over from the likes of Lekgwathi and Sangweni in terms of leadership. That void needs to be filled.
A strong leader needs to be identified first, before going on an overhaul of the team where a number of players were released and more brought in. Those new signings arrived in an environment that lacked stability, which is why they have struggled to make a seamless transition and a bigger impact.
The club’s management will ignore Palacios’s bold revelations at their own peril.