University of Pretoria have been going down and soon they may be out.
That’s if AmaTuks fail to make drastic changes to pull them out of the quagmire they find themselves in. Tuks are in serious danger as they are currently second from bottom on the Absa Premiership table and are on the same number of points as bottom based Maritzburg United, who have five points. Tuks, no doubt, face a daunting task to rise from that obyss.
Their poor record, which reads one win, two draws and six losses, is just the tip of the iceberg. They have far greater issues than that as they seem to also have an identity crisis.
The type of football that they play leaves a lot to be desired.The men from Hatfield prefer ineffective route one football - it’s an every match occurrence when goalkeeper Washington Arubi hits a long ball to strikers Atusaye Nyondo and Thabo Monyamane, who wait for the secondary ball. In this manner, Tuks have failed to define their playing style and the need to stick with a working strategy.
If resources where equated to success, then Tuks should be dominating domestic football. With the High Performance Center, they have every piece of equipment and expertise they need to thrive in a competitive environment.
However, they have been found wanting when it comes to grinding out results.
The biggest challenge for Tuks is that they lack playing personnel who boast quality in the area of creativity. Their players can’t dribble and they hardly improvise or eliminate opponents.
The club has scored just four goals in nine matches. Of the four goals, only one goal has been scored by a striker - Mnyamane. The other three goals were scored by defenders Tebogo Monyai and Khethukhuthula Zwane (brace) - a clear sign of bankruptcy in their attack.
Moreover, Tuks rely more on the collective than individuals - not necessarily a bad thing but at a club were creativity is so stifled it has become a major concern. The simple fact of the matter is that Tuks don’t have playmakers nor do they have any match winners.
It’s going to be very hard for Tuks to make the grade this season, unless they go shopping in the next transfer window.
Another concern is Sammy Troughton is the right man to lead Tuks at the moment?
The Tuks coach is a chilled guy and a kind man. He is not your typical tough coach like Gavin Hunt or Pitso Mosimane, who will take players to task for failing to carry out certain duties. In these trying times Troughton has to toughen up. He knows that he has to work wonders so the team can survive.
Troughton is arguably in a comfort zone due to the fact that Tuks have never fired a coach since their elevation into the Premier League. They did, however, suspended assistant coach Sly Mosala recently.
If Tuks boss Rendani Mulaudzi and Co mean business they will reliev Troughton of his duties as soon as possible but the management lack strategic planning as far as the future of the club is concerned.
Therefore, there is no pressure at Tuks nor a culture of changing and chopping coaches, hence the laxity which has crippled them. From management to the ball boy, there’s a need for Tuks to change. They have to develop their football if they are to challenge the big guns in the PSL. Given the type of players that they have, Tuks will need luck and lots of it to survive. - The Star