Mulondo Sikhwivhilu has advised his former club Orlando Pirates to just forget about catching Kaizer Chiefs and instead start building for next season.
Pirates are currently sitting in ninth position on the Absa Premiership table with only 13 points from 11 matches, 15 points behind league leaders Chiefs.
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According to the ex-striker, Rhulani Mokwena's side are already out of the title race and the best they can do is fight for a top eight position.
"Eish! My brother I don't think by the way Chiefs are playing this season that you can even compare them to Bucs this season," Sikhwivhilu tells snl24.com/kickoff.
"We are not at that level. Ja so we cannot even be talking about Pirates catching Chiefs, we can be talking about us winning our matches and then getting our house in order because we are not winning.
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"So I think we just need to focus on what is going on with the team. We have to check if the players are gelling with coach Rhulani after the departure of Micho you understand?
"Because ever since he came in there was a lot of expectations. Instead of us focusing on Pirates playing, now we are focusing on 'is he going to make it'. So once we get that thing sorted out I think it's when we will find our touch you understand?
"Because we don't know whether we are going forward or back, I mean by the way we are playing... since we came back from two goals down against Chiefs we understand but... the thing about the Derby is that one team must win.
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"So since we've been playing with Chiefs this season they've been beating us left, right and centre so that's why I'm saying looking at Kaizer Chiefs right now is not going to solve the problem for us.
"I think we will be there in the top eight, once we get our foot right we can even challenge, but challenging means winning games and with that we are not consistent you understand?
"So I think just because we are Orlando Pirates we can be there in the top eight no problem but... are we going to change the coach? Because if we are going to change the coach it means that we are going to start from scratch.
"We will need a person who is going to start winning from there, and you know in South African football you cannot just go and beat Golden Arrows just because they are Golden Arrows.
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"Ja I think the temperament there brother, because there you need to prove yourself, you know the story. It doesn't matter whether you are coming from the Pirates family or what, once you start losing three Derbies in a row and you are still a head coach, you must know that something is bound to happen.
"Either you start winning games or else... if you look forward we've got all the firepower you understand, in the middle I don't know who is creating for us, but like to concede goals like that at the back in the Derby? An own-goal that is within a minute of the game, you can see that the level of concentration is not there.
"We are struggling at the back, whereas we've got everything that we need up front. Where are the likes of [Auustine] Mulenga? They are just sitting down. Where is [Thembinkosi] Lorch this season? This season we don't see him, because creativity is not there. We are playing but in the final third, I don't know whether we need good luck or what."
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Sikhwivhilu says replacing Mokwena with another coach will not be a solution right now.
"I think the solution is, let's give this guy Rhulani a chance for the season you understand? I think the guys will come right come second round. We just need to be consistent," he adds.
"Forget about Chiefs and concentrate on getting out of the fire that you are in, because Kaizer Chiefs right now they are cruising. Us, we are climbing the hill.
"Pretty soon we are going to be in a position where we don't even see them. So why are we looking at people who are running away from us?"