HOME > NEWS > BUCS MISS MHLONGO THWALAS PRESENCE

Bucs miss Mhlongo, Thwala’s presence

Bucs miss Mhlongo, Thwala’s presence

Posted: 2009-11-30 09:49

Orlando Pirates coach Ruud Krol laments the absence of midfielder Benson Mhlongo and defensive pillar Lucas Thwala that has contributed to them falling nine points behind leaders SuperSport United despite the Bucs having led the standings for the better part of the first half of the season.

Mhlongo and Thwala have been missing in action due to injury with the former out for the rest of the season.

“Lucas and Benson are key players that we cannot replace with ease and so when they are out we feel their absence. These are quality players that we are missing a lot in our team. Before they got injured they were playing such an important role in our team so much so that they had become the backbone but now they are not there,” bemoans Krol.

The Dutchman says it’s a pity that they couldn’t take advantage at the weekend in the Moroka Swallows game to close the gap between them and SuperSport who were held to a goalless draw earlier in the day.

“The gap remains nine points and it is a pity that we couldn’t cut it down to seven which would have put us in a better position in enhancing our chances of going for the League.

“But in this crazy season anything is possible especially with so many games to be played within such a short period of time. If we can win all our games before the break, things can be completely different to what they are now.

“Look with regards to the game (against Moroka Swallows) I am not happy at all that we only managed to come out with a point. I mean when we are creating so many chances and not winning a match I can never be happy.

“Off course it was a pity that we fell a goal down two minutes into the match but after that we created five consecutive chances but couldn’t score one. Well, its all part of football,” says Krol.

With the next opponent in the compressed fixture programme being Jomo Cosmos on Wednesday night Krol says they must keep their hunt for points on.

“Pirates is a club that must always take the initiative in every game and so that is just what we will have to do against Cosmos. But first we have to review the situation in our squad regarding injuries and suspensions ahead of the next game. All the same our target is maximum points,” says Krol.



Have you discussed this topic on Team KICK OFF? Click Here...

Comment on this article:

TERMS OF USE: The comments posted below do not reflect the views of KickOff.com. Users are reminded that no misuse of this comment facility will be tolerated. Any abusive, racist or inflammatory comments will be deleted and the user banned. Please report abusive posts to editor@kickoff.com

Livhuwani: 2009-11-30 10:04

With the next opponent in the compressed fixture programme being Jomo Cosmos on Wednesday night Krol says they must keep their hunt for points on.

hyei krol dis is a loss cosmos is going to win for de first time this second season cosms 1 vs pie-rats 0

Don Archie: 2009-11-30 10:11

Krol Krol Krol Krol, u are gonna run of excuses eventually.

You are good coach but you dont have plan B, or you cant handle pressure.

Once and Always

Miaki: 2009-11-30 10:13

I honestly fail to see the point that Krol is making, as to why is Mothibantwa warming the bench when Mdluli/Gumbi is a vip passenger week in and week out only hom can tell us....

Jabu: 2009-11-30 10:15

Why so quiet today Mabhakaniya, are you feeling the heat now? Shapa Khosi shapa!

smallicious : 2009-11-30 10:25

excuses! excuses! excuses!
Krol just cant seem to handle the pressure thats all.

The Sky Is The Limit!

Lil witchy : 2009-11-30 10:42

Bla bla bla..dis topic is sensles.da r playaz in dat position.jali is doin just fine..mr kraal doesnt knw what hs doing h has ran out of ideas.dis is jst anada stupid excuse...dis coach is lost.jhaa! Pie-city

SIBUSISO: 2009-11-30 10:49

“Lucas and Benson are key players that we cannot replace with ease and so when they are out we feel their absence.


I thought for once this coach had direction but after numerous comments...looking down to some of his players, I began to realise that he has got the same syndrome that pirates have......EARLY EJACULATION

Fuze 1: 2009-11-30 10:49

The repurcussions of the congested seasons are now being felt by many clubs including Orlando Pirates. Players are only human beings and soccer is a contact sport, and to make things worse players will have to suffer fatique due to this congested season. This time around, Krol's excuses are justifiable, according to me. As we speak Pirates have only Makonesi as a substitute for defence, and its obviously a very dangerous situation. Its a matter of time, Supersport United will feel the same.

SIBUSISO: 2009-11-30 10:50

Lil witchy : 2009-11-30 10:42

hehehehehe!!! HOLA KHOSI.....weekend was great...dont you think?????

SIBUSISO: 2009-11-30 10:51

Fuze: 2009-11-30 10:49

Fair enough Fuze...but then tell us, WHAT WAS THE USE OF SIGNING ALL THOSE BUNCH OF PLAYERS?????

Dikotsi: 2009-11-30 10:53

Asked if he misses his days with Kaizer Chiefs, he revealed, “Eish, outhi yam, eish…I won’t say much but bazozwa (they will hear about my progress). I didn’t leave them because I had a problem with anyone. I left on good terms. The coaches were coming and going and some of them didn’t feel like working with star players. I had to go! Yes, I miss them. There can be Sundowns, Pirates or whoever, but Chiefs will always be Chiefs and you can’t take that away from them. They are very professional.”

Dikotsi: 2009-11-30 11:02

Football is a funny game. Today you are a star and tomorrow you are useless, and then you are a str again. I think people are quick to go to their conclusions before ****ysing issues here. No one ever said any coach can just be in top of his game because there are other factors that come to play and may derail the flow of things. The fact tht Krol or Pirates is battling a bit right now does not mean Kroll doesnt have plan B as many of you guys allude, but rather he could be having other factors of replacement players losing form, players performing well at training only to batle during the game and vice versa with other players. it is wise to first ****yse issues, organise your facts properly and then spew your bile with facts.
It is the same with Chiefs, injuries to key players, suspension adn loss of form i*****ting every other team. Loss of form and motivation plays a major role too but it iss the job of the coach to take pre-emptive measures for that. Unfortunately a reactionary approach is taken in some instances because teams have too big squads, like Pirates and Sundowns. Here the tendency toattend to demotivation and loss of form will be reactionary, purel because of too big a squad. That is why it is a no,no for other coaches to work with big squads.

Coaches are no super human, yet they are paid and accepts the pay to be super human. Hence we expect them to be. But they are not.

Dikotsi: 2009-11-30 11:11

It is very very important, no, crucial to sign players with a plan and aim. Not just hurry to sign because Chiefs is equiring about the player. A case in point is Mthembu at Pirates and many many more at Sundowns. The result is the player might not be suited for the style of play, culture and the environment of the club. Most importantly, the coach might not like the player.

A perfect example of a team that signs with a plan in hand is SuperSports. They have perectly equally good players that can replace any player in the normal first starting line up. Pirates and sundowsn must learn this. Chiefs also has a small squad but with good replacement, albeit not to my satisfaction as yet.

Jacob/Styles: 2009-11-30 11:12

Fair comment coach the team has looked a little bit disjointed since Benson's injury, he commanded that midfield well and was a great influence to the young stars. However what a great comeback that was! To our detractors as a supporter of Bucs i'm ecstatic that we had a point, when everything seemed to be over Bucs got an equaliser.

Mgcini: 2009-11-30 11:18

Mr Krol he has a problem of being 1 dimensional coach and he is still going to find it diffucult in this 2nd round because he is easily predictable

Fuze 1: 2009-11-30 11:23

SIBUSISO: 2009-11-30 10:51 [ Report ]
My noble opinion on that is Pirates didn't concentrate on the defence as it was solid in the last season, and they were also caught unprepared by the departure of Mdledle. So Pirates only concentrated on scoring goals hence buying attacking players. I think then things didn't go according to the plan as it was anticipated. Hence there is a need to review everything as quick as possible.

Dan : 2009-11-30 11:25

Krol what you are doing is wrong. we knoe that the players(benson and thwala) are injured, there is nothing that you can do about it. but telling the media that you are missing them before they recover fully, is breaking the confidence and self esteem of the players who are replacing them. please watch the words that come out of your mouth. try to build the players that are playing now, if you are going to make comments like these, then you should not expect good things to come your way.

skye: 2009-11-30 11:28

quite friendly

i DONT KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THIS CLUB, I AM OF THE OPINION THAT THEY HAVE have reached AN ULTIMATE THAT THEY A SECOND FIDDLE TEAM period

BrokeFan: 2009-11-30 11:35

"Bucs miss Mhlongo, Thwala’s presence"

They also miss Victor Bonderenko.

Hehehehe, Krol must chose his words carefully, it won't be long they (fans) call for his head and Victor as his replacement. Haha...this team rocks...

Big Dude: 2009-11-30 11:51

I don't expect this excuse from a coach who has more than 30 players in his team. Absence of 2 players should not make a difference if this team has quality

Scorpion: 2009-11-30 12:30

Dikotsi: 2009-11-30 11:11

For once you (Dikotsi)are raising valid points without being emotional. These are kind of issues i thought we'll use this forum to deal with them.

Whilst i totally agree with you (without labeling anyone unprofessional), i think each and every club my design their own playing style. The style must be dynamic and change with changing conditions as time goes.

Once a team has its own playing style then a coach is only hired if he buys into the playing style the same applies to players . . . only those players that are seen to be compatible with the style are signed.

For continuity, even the development sides apply the same playing style. With these in place, teams would need to replace all their players everytime a new coach is hired and as such the number of players signed would be minimised.

Dan ka-Mkhaliphi: 2009-11-30 12:54

Strange how at one stage, Mr.McDonalds Modise was hailed as the one player that makes Pirates play, and now the coach is not even mentioning anything about the junkfood representative.In SA, we believe it is ''skillful'' playas that plays an over-all bigger part in making their teams win, yet, soldiers like Thwala/Mhlongo who do their business on the field, and are never followed by the media, are the real heroes.McDonals is now as useless as any other Black Leopards playa.