Johannesburg - Jose Riveiro knew it would take time before he could steer Orlando Pirates back to the top of local football, but he didn’t know it would be this tough.
The Spaniard’s appointment as the Buccaneers’ new steward was met with bemusement by ‘The Ghost’, considering his unknown track record.
But he did fairly well in his first nine games, inspiring the team to five wins, two losses and two draws and the Ghost changed their tone about him.
The glory days appeared to be nigh at the club and they went toe-to-toe with five-time consecutive league champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 semi-final first leg.
But a lot has changed since that ‘lovely draw’ after the international window where Pirates had four shots on target. Their backs are against the wall.
Pirates are winless in their last three matches after firing blanks. They have to beat the visiting AmaZulu at home tomorrow night to calm the fans’ nerves.
A win would buy Riveiro more days at the helm, while a defeat would increase the pressure on his shoulders.
After being held 0-0 by Richards Bay last Saturday, reports surfaced that the team held a meeting with the management after the match.
The outcomes of that meeting remain a mystery. But they probably all have to do with the team’s winless streak in their last three matches.
A Pirates win over Usuthu, a team fighting to restore their dignity, cannot be guaranteed. Usuthu have a new coach in Romain Folz who’ll be eager to impress in his first game.
The French-born coach was at Marumo Gallants where he resigned after two months in charge.
Citing interference from the management, Folz, 32, said he was undermined, given he’s young and relatively new in the PSL after coaching in Botswana.
But the problem with this Pirates team doesn’t lie with playing an opponent off the park. Instead, it has to do with chopping and changing of the starting line-up.
Sure, players can impress at training but that doesn’t mean that they should start the next game after a good session over a player who’s been impressive.
Olisa Ndah wasn’t a regular during the start of the season. And that shocked the football fraternity, including the Ghost, given his impressive maiden term.
But we got accustomed to the fact that Riveiro preferred the partnership of Nkosinathi Sibisi and Tapelo Xoki, who also impressed from the start.
Sibisi and Xoki were so good that they only conceded four goals in their first nine matches. That has changed since the integration of players in the team.
The Ghost will want to see a win more than anything when they host Usuthu. And that will be possible if Pirates’ marksmen are at their best.
And it’s not that they lack personnel to chip in with the goals. Instead it’s the rotation and changing of personnel that keeps letting the team down.
New striker Kermit Erasmus is a goal poacher, and many will feel he should start ahead of Zakhele Lepasa who’s been lacklustre since his brace last month.
It was never going to be easy. But if Riveiro continues to experiment with his line-up then he runs the risk of catching the next available flight to Spain. It’s possible at Pirates.
@MihlaliBaleka