Josef Zinnbauer is an unknown entity in the world of coaching and many commentators agree that his record does not inspire confidence, but former Orlando Pirates captain Edward Motale is calling for the club’s fans to be patient with their new tactician.
Zinnbauer opened his tenure with a bang as the Buccaneers dispatched Black Leopards 3-1 in the Premiership in his debut match.
The German took over from Rhulani Mokwena, who has been demoted back to an assistant coach - a position he occupied before being appointed as boss on the interim basis.
“It is a wise move for Pirates to keep Rhulani as an assistant coach. Luck was not on his side and supporters were starting to lose patience with him. He is a very talented young man and I’m sure he learned a lot from that experience of leading a big club like Pirates,” Motale said in an interview with Independent Media yesterday.
“Nobody knows the new coach. Let us not focus on his past records, we need to be patient with him.”
The Sea Robbers started the new season under the tutelage of Milutin Sredojevic, who resigned unexpectedly after the season commenced.
Mokwena replaced him but couldn’t get the results as the team that were among the pre-season favourites appeared to disintegrate under his mentorship.
During his regime, Pirates were bundled out of the CAF Champions League, MTN8 and Telkom Knockout. They also struggled in the league, a situation that compelled the management to capture the signature of Zinnbauer.
“Let the new coach prove himself. He started very well against Black Leopards,” Motale added.
“Obviously you can’t say much from one game but he released some pressure off his shoulders. If he lost, he would have been under immense pressure in the next (few) games. From now on, he will be striving for consistency.”
Pirates are currently fifth on the log with 20 points after 14 rounds of league matches. They are far behind leaders Kaizer Chiefs. Amakhosi, who are Bucs’ sworn rivals, have acquired 35 points after the same number of games.
At the start of the season, Pirates went on a shopping spree, signing nine players to beef up their squad.
“The quality is there at Pirates. I don’t think they need to bolster their squad. They have to work with what they have at their disposal. It is now about blending that quality going forward,” Motale articulated.
The transfer window opened on Wednesday and it will close at the end of the month.
The Buccaneers will be looking to cut the gap between themselves and bitter rivals Chiefs. They will open their account in 2020 with a tricky encounter when they entertain Bloemfontein Celtic tomorrow (3.30pm kick-off).
“It is going to be difficult to catch Chiefs but if they can stay consistent, I believe they can push Chiefs in the title race. Obviously they will be praying that Chiefs will stumble along the way,” Motale explained.
@minenhlecr7
The Mercury
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