Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza was has said that he believes caretaker-coach Augusto Palacios’s claims of player ill-discipline at troubled Bucs are a cop-out.
Khoza did say that he would meet with the first team on Tuesday to discuss issues of taking responsibility in the wake of Bucs’ disastrous 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday‚ a result that sparked a violent pitch invasion by Pirates’ fans.
Khoza pronounced on Monday in a press conference at Rand Stadium that Bucs would speed up their search for a replacement for Muhsin Ertugral‚ who resigned to leave Palacios as caretaker in November‚ to the point of making an announcement on a new man this Monday.
The chairman also said Palacios’s claims he had made after some of 10th-placed Bucs’ defeats of indiscipline and players not caring enough about losing were an excuse by Palacios for poor results.
“You said Palacios is a ‘Professor’‚” Khoza said in response to a question that had utilised Palacios’s nickname.
“If you are a professor there is no problem that is above you.
“And I’m disappointed if ever he’s punting that narrative. Because he should be the one assisting us‚ from his experience‚ and his knowledge of the game‚ to come up and give us the factors that will assist us.
“If you start punting reasons it might be taking the focus away from yourself‚ because we end up auditing you also.
“Because as a coach he has a responsibility to assist us to understand. Because he has been there for some time as an insider. Help us because you are close to the players.
“So don’t give us reasons that are going to justify maybe your shortcomings. I can’t buy that one. It’s a nice easy way for him ‚ I’m afraid.”
Khoza did say he would meet with Bucs’ players to discuss the issue of taking responsibility.
“I will be having a meeting with the whole team‚” Bucs’ chairman said.
“Interestingly enough I had a meeting just before we came back for this year.
“I had a full meeting on February 3‚ with the whole technical team‚ where we discussed the mid-season report‚ making sure that responsibilities were understood.
“And issues that arose out of the data that he had collated on the players.
“And for your information I had meetings with some of the players one-on-one. With Oupa Manyisa‚ Happy Jele‚ because that’s a routine.”
Khoza’s comments aimed at long-time development servant Palacios – often the fireman caretaker in a head coaching crisis – come as something of a surprise.
They are an indication of the level of dissatisfaction at Pirates at a season in which the team had a record defeat equaled with a 6-1 thrashing by SuperSport United in November‚ then that record beaten by Saturday’s drubbing at Loftus.
Khoza to Palacios: ‘Don’t give us reasons that justify maybe your shortcomings’
Khoza did say that he would meet with the first team on Tuesday to discuss issues of taking responsibility in the wake of Bucs’ disastrous 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday‚ a result that sparked a violent pitch invasion by Pirates’ fans.
Khoza pronounced on Monday in a press conference at Rand Stadium that Bucs would speed up their search for a replacement for Muhsin Ertugral‚ who resigned to leave Palacios as caretaker in November‚ to the point of making an announcement on a new man this Monday.
The chairman also said Palacios’s claims he had made after some of 10th-placed Bucs’ defeats of indiscipline and players not caring enough about losing were an excuse by Palacios for poor results.
“You said Palacios is a ‘Professor’‚” Khoza said in response to a question that had utilised Palacios’s nickname.
“If you are a professor there is no problem that is above you.
“And I’m disappointed if ever he’s punting that narrative. Because he should be the one assisting us‚ from his experience‚ and his knowledge of the game‚ to come up and give us the factors that will assist us.
“If you start punting reasons it might be taking the focus away from yourself‚ because we end up auditing you also.
“Because as a coach he has a responsibility to assist us to understand. Because he has been there for some time as an insider. Help us because you are close to the players.
“So don’t give us reasons that are going to justify maybe your shortcomings. I can’t buy that one. It’s a nice easy way for him ‚ I’m afraid.”
Khoza did say he would meet with Bucs’ players to discuss the issue of taking responsibility.
“I will be having a meeting with the whole team‚” Bucs’ chairman said.
“Interestingly enough I had a meeting just before we came back for this year.
“I had a full meeting on February 3‚ with the whole technical team‚ where we discussed the mid-season report‚ making sure that responsibilities were understood.
“And issues that arose out of the data that he had collated on the players.
“And for your information I had meetings with some of the players one-on-one. With Oupa Manyisa‚ Happy Jele‚ because that’s a routine.”
Khoza’s comments aimed at long-time development servant Palacios – often the fireman caretaker in a head coaching crisis – come as something of a surprise.
They are an indication of the level of dissatisfaction at Pirates at a season in which the team had a record defeat equaled with a 6-1 thrashing by SuperSport United in November‚ then that record beaten by Saturday’s drubbing at Loftus.
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