Mosimane not thinking about the title... yet
Premier Soccer League (PSL) Coach of the Season Pitso Mosimane is one of the few soccer realists around.
After a season that included three cup finals and two trophies and a fourth spot finish in the PSL, Mosimane remained cautious when asked about his team's chances of winning the league next season.
With Mosimane in charge, United have finished second on the log twice, third and this time fourth, and there is a general feeling that it is about time that they go for the championship.
During these four seasons, United also reached the lucrative group stages of the Caf Champions League and the third round of the Caf Confederation Cup.
"It will be nice to win the league, but if you look at my team, there is little experience.
"You need a few experienced players to be able to win the championship because such players can handle the pressure.
"Our main aim at the moment is to continue winning as many cups as possible. Maybe we will win the league in two years' time. That's our long term target," he said.
"I honestly believe we will be ready for that in two years' time," Mosimane said.
This season, Mosimane relied heavily on inexperienced players like midfielders Thando Mngomeni and Dennis Masina who he later lost to lucrative overseas contracts.
He also lost key players Themba Mnguni and Kaitano Tembo to long term injuries.
"Its not easy to win the league with youngsters because they tend to lose focus when it matters most," Mosimane lamented.
A closer look at the United team reveals that the average age is 25 with four regular players in Bafana Bafana defender Siboniso Gaxa and two Amaglug-glug players in Richard Rantjie and
Daine Klate, and Swaziland junior international Tony Tsabedze under the age of 23.
There is also promising striker Koena Mathopa, from Atteridgeville, who plays for the under-23 national team, but did not feature much for the team in the league though he was given a chance in the Confederation Cup.
Then there are other players like Abram Raselemane, Sibusiso Mahlangu, Edward Williams, Phil Evans, Tsweu Mokoro and captain Ricardo Katza who are in their midtwenties and featured prominently in Mosimane's team.
It's not easy to manage a team with many youngsters who need to play regularly ahead of out of form experienced clubmates, but Mosimane says man managment and communication skills are key
to keeping everyone happy.
"I was a player myself and I know it is not easy to satisfy everyone in the team.
"If I put a certain player on the bench, I must be able to explain to him why he is not playing because he might be a bad influence in the team.
"These things end up causing division and you can't afford to have that," he said.
Mosimane's rise in recent seasons has often led to rumours that he is on the wanted list of clubs like Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns, but "Jingles", as he was known during his playing days, confirmed that he was commitment to United for the next three years.
"I am honoured to be linked with top clubs like that because it shows that people are taking note of what I am doing.
"However, I have a contract with United that I must honour," he said.
Mosimane said he was a staunch believer in the 4-4-2 formation which revolved around striker Manuel Bucuane, who doubles as a ball carrier and scorer of goals.
"He is the most important player in our attacking system because part of his job is to fall back and fetch the balls and feed our wingers, while running into empty spaces to finish off the crosses," he said about his system.
United have signed highly rated Zimbabwean midfielder Joel Luphahla and Ghanaian playmaker Steve Oduro and Mosimane is also planning to sign a striker, centreback and rightback to add depth to his squad.