Plundering the Pirates: Ernst Middendorp and crew |
THE full scale of Orlando Pirates monumental “bottom-to-the-top”
campaign was painfully mapped out for the Buccaneers on Saturday night.
After that draining African Champions League crusade, Roger
de Sa’s side were STILL in the fight for the Q1 prize until Bloemfontein Celtic
turned up in Orlando.
But on a day of great entertainment – which also saw Kaizer
Chiefs go top of the PSL – the mediocre Siwelele raised their game to new
heights.
Coach Ernst Middendorp admitted after their shock 3-2 away
win: “Look, I spoke at half-time to the players, our first-half was the best I’ve
seen in the PSL this season. And I'm traveling a lot, I go to Pretoria, I go
watch matches in Pietermaritzburg, and all over.
"We are probably one of the only teams really playing
with two up front, we create chances and sometimes the best defence is moving
forward. Now our back-four operates as a compact unit, and one of our secrets
is that we were very solid at the back."
"Then in the second half, we showed that fighting
spirit we've been asking for and I'm very very, very happy for my team. Today’s
result was full deserved.”
And there’s Roger’s problem. Though his side learned a lot
on their continental crusade, they return to the hurly-burly of domestic
football with EVERY side in the country eager to keep the bustling Buccaneers below
them.
De Sa himself accepts: “How poor was that? We were too
relaxed. In the first half we were horrendous. The second half was a little bit
better but still not good enough.
"There might be a little bit of fatigue setting in, and
some of the new players not up to it. We have to throw new players in and Mbongeni
Gumede had some good moments, but it’s still a learning curve.
“No excuses, they were better than us, they wanted it more
than us, and we've got to do a lot better.”
It remains the case that Pirates could go on an epic journey
from the bottom to the top of the PSL – if they WON all those five or six games
in hand they could still sneak above Chiefs – but De Sa is now aware of just
how tough that task will be after five games have earned them a mere seven
points.
They don’t have another PSL game until they travel to
dangerous youngsters Ajax Cape Town on the 11th, so they’re going to
be rock-bottom for some time yet. On Saturday at 8.15pm in Mbombela they’ve got
Platinum Stars in the Telkom KO final – a repeat of the MTN8 final they lost on
penalties in Durban earlier in the season.
With the African Champions League and MTN8 both lost at the
last hurdle, De Sa says: “I’m hardly delighted about that but at least we know
where the finishing line is. It’s got to be third time lucky for us.”
I suspect he’s right. But a TelkomKO triumph will only prove
a temporary solution. The PSL has rarely been more competitive. Being bottom of
the table is no elephant in the room. It’s a raging bull for Roger.
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Any team is the Psl that changes its back four will suffer defeat , Was no exception to Orlando Pirates , I believe besides the loose to Celtic , Pirates are calm and dominant in position , Just the weather took the game away it came @A crucial part of match , Yes first half Celtic run riot of our new formed defence but second half they were more settled also the penalty twisted the encounter , I still believe Roger De Sa is the right man .Its good to see teams are not parking the "Gautrain'' anymore and come Ajax game it will work for us as play will be open , That is when will see Pirates @best ball possession and rotation
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