Krol and unusual punishment
Orlando Pirates coach could be made to walk the plank after two heavy losses to great rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the last few weeks. Orlando Pirates coach could be made to walk the plank after two heavy losses to great rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the last few weeks.
The future of Orlando Pirates coach Ruud Krol has been thrown into serious doubt, after the club failed to offer him unequivocal backing yesterday amid growing calls from The Ghost that he should be fired.
Pirates spokesman Mickey Modisane said yesterday the club’s technical team would assess and deliberate on Saturday’s disastrous defeat to Kaizer Chiefs in the Telkom Knockout final, and thereafter “management would communicate their position”.
“We usually have our technical committee meetings on Tuesday or Wednesday, where the coach and his team give a report back on the previous week. It is a normal meeting and there’s nothing special about it. The coach will present a report on what went wrong, why he chose certain players and so on,” Modisane said.
Krol came in for severe criticism after Pirates surrendered to Chiefs in the R4-million final at FNB Stadium, offering absolutely no resistance to lose 3-0.
That this was a second defeat to Amakhosi in three weeks made it even more unbearable for The Ghost.
The campaign to get him out of a job escalated yesterday when Pirates fans posted vicious messages on the club’s website, asking management to act.
The Dutchman’s contract with Pirates expires at the end of the current season, and he too has had his own frustrations about a club management who’ve been reluctant to offer him an extension, even when he’s already delivered a trophy – the MTN8, which was the club’s first in seven years – in October.
But hardly five weeks later, he again finds himself in a precarious position, with Modisane commenting the club’s management found the two heavy defeats to Chiefs in such a short space to be intolerable.
“It is a cause for concern that we lost to Chiefs by such heavy margins, especially considering the kind of players we have,” Modisane said.
“Losing back-to-back matches to Chiefs with such big scorelines is unacceptable, but it is important from management’s side to try and understand the reasons behind it.”
Asked if Krol would see out the remainder of his contract, Modisane retorted: “He has a three-year contract and this is the last year of it.
“I’m not in a position to give comment on whether he’ll be here up to the end of it. Up until we have had a technical meeting, management can’t formulate a position.”
At the weekend, Krol remarked it was up to Bucs’ hierarchy to keep him at the club, a dismissive response from a man who, six months before his contract expires, can already see the writing on the wall.
But he’s been in this position at least two times this year. Few expected Krol to return as Bucs trainer at the beginning of this season after they failed to challenge for the championship, but he did. His obituary at the club was again written in September as he prepared for a second-leg MTN8 semi-final against Chiefs, but an unexpected victory put him back in charge.
He then led Bucs to a penalty-shootout win over Moroka Swallows in the final, something which restored his authority, until the weekend embarrassment at the hands of Chiefs.
Pirates resume their Absa Premiership campaign against Bloemfontein Celtic on Sunday (Orlando Stadium, 3.30pm), desperate to close the six-point gap leaders Mamelodi Sundowns have opened on them.
Fixtures
Friday: Vasco Da Gama v Maritzburg United, Newlands, 8pm
Saturday: Golden Arrows v Sundowns, Chatsworth, 3.30pm; Free State Stars v Chiefs, Botshabelo Stadium, 3.30pm; BIDVest Wits v AmaZulu, Milpark, 6pm; SuperSport United v Platinum Stars, Masterpieces Moripe Stadium, 8.15pm; Santos v Swallows, Athlone, 8pm
Sunday: Black Aces v Ajax, Puma Stadium, 3.30pm; Pirates v Celtic, Orlando, 3.30pm