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While congratulating the newly appointed coach, veteran Augusto Palacios offers wise counsel about the pressure involved and fans’ expectations, writes Timothy Molobi.
At Pirates, pressure doesn’t come from the prospect of winning or losing a match; it comes from fans’ expectations that the team win every game played.
This is the warning sent to the Bucs’ newly appointed coach, Josef “JZ” Zinnbauer, by veteran coach Augusto Palacios, who is well placed to proffer advice and inside information, having been part of the Bucs set-up for years.
While wishing Zinnbauer (49) all the best in the Pirates hot seat, Palacios warned the German to be his own man and absorb the pressure early on.
“Firstly, he must be his own man,” said Palacios.
“He must also embrace the culture of the club and follow the philosophy of the team. The club has a rich history and he must know who he is dealing with,” added the Peruvian mentor, who has had a stint at the club as a caretaker coach on two occasions in the past six years.
“I believe that there are good players, who can turn the team around. He needs to work closely with the players and treat them equally. No favouritism, please.”
Palacios said the new coach must use players in their preferred positions.
“There is this thing now of coaches converting players, which is destroying some players. He must put them in their rightful positions and must always put forward the players he thinks will do the job for him, be they young or older.”
But the most important thing, said Palacios, was to treat the players fairly and equally.
“I wish him good luck and all the best because he is going to need it.”
The veteran coach emphasised the importance of Zinnbauer being consistent and ensuring continuity.
Zinnbauer’s survival kit
The German will have to hit the ground running as he is expected to be on the bench when Pirates host Black Leopards on Saturday at Soweto’s Orlando Stadium.
He will have to prioritise team stability, particularly at the back.
One of the downfalls of caretaker coach Rhulani Mokwena’s time at the helm was that he was always tinkering with his line-up.
Discipline
First and foremost, Zinnbauer will have to stamp his authority and root out ill-discipline. There have been elements of ill-discipline in the team since Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic left in August. Some observers have pointed to the many red cards as a sure sign of lack of discipline in the team. Pirates received three send-offs in four matches.
Embrace the challenge
Overseeing the Pirates team is a pressure cooker of a job, and the sooner Zinnbauer accepts that there is pressure from the club’s spiritual leaders – the Bucs’ supporters, otherwise known as The Ghost – the better. They want nothing but results.
The Ghost have been starved of success and will look to “JZ” to change their fortunes, particularly with rivals Kaizer Chiefs doing so well at the moment.
Resist temptation to buy new players
A mistake that new coaches make is to quickly run to the market to get players, without first assessing the situation within. This is what Zinnbauer must resist.
Contrary to suggestions that the Bucs need a defender, they have many – all capable of winning titles. He must first look within, and even at those who are out on loan, to determine if they are what he needs.
Sandile Mthethwa and Tercious Malepe, the duo who are out on loan to Chippa United, have what it takes to break into the Bucs line-up.
Assistant coaches
Zinnbauer must give equal responsibility to his two assistants, Mokwena and Fadlu Davids, so there is no perception of one being above the other. Having been at the helm, Mokwena may be tempted to impose his ideas, but by sharing out his deputies’ duties fairly, JZ should bring harmony to the technical team.
With not much expected from Zinnbauer based on his rather thin CV, this is his chance to make a name for himself. But he should be aware that the three-year contract he has signed is not worth the paper it’s written on, given that only results will prolong his stay.
The only coach who has enjoyed a three-year stint at Pirates since 2008 was Ruud Krol. The Dutchman lasted for three seasons before his contract was up and wasn’t renewed, despite the team scoring a treble win. And, Micho was on his way to enjoying another long stint at Bucs, having coached the team for about six months back in 2006, but an off-the-field personal scandal paved the way for him to leave.
The question is: How long will Zinnbauer last?
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