Bucs’ Zinnbauer happy but not satisfied

Josef Zinnbauer coach of Orlando Pirates during Absa Premiership match between Orlando Pirates and Black Leopards on 21 December 2019 at Orlando Stadium, Pic BackpagePix

Josef Zinnbauer coach of Orlando Pirates during Absa Premiership match between Orlando Pirates and Black Leopards on 21 December 2019 at Orlando Stadium, Pic BackpagePix

Published Dec 23, 2019

Share

Josef Zinnbauer may have hit top gear from the start in his first game in charge of Orlando Pirates, but he remains adamant there’s still a lot of work to be done, especially tactically.

Two weeks ago, Zinnbauer was announced as the new Pirates’ coach, replacing Micho Sredojevic, who resigned early in August to join Egyptian giants Zamalek

For the last four-and-a-half months Rhulani Mokwena held over the reins on an interim basis, steering the Sea Robbers’ ship into troubled waters, collecting only 14 points in 11 matches.

That return wasn’t enough to convince the Pirates board to give Mokwena, 34, the post on a permanent basis, or even until the end of the season, as they turned their focus to Germany to get Zinnbauer.

The 49-year-old’s appointment was met with bemusement by The Ghost, who were unsatisfied with his credentials.

Following two weeks of training, which included a week-long camp in Nelspruit, Zinnbauer quietened his detractors with a 3-1 victory over Black Leopards in his first game in charge, and last fixture of the year, at Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

“The match today was not so good for me. With the ball, there were good and bad things. In defending situations (we were not convincing),” he said. “We had three goals on our side but we lost the ball and possession and that is not what I want. But we’ll work on things. I think there’s good quality, and with a lot of players in different positions and that’s good. So, the next step is to improve players in their positions and against the ball.”

That’s easier said than done though. The German believes in order for him to fully instil his philosophy and for his team to run like a well-oiled machine, he’ll need time and cooperation from the players.

“In five or seven training sessions, it’s not easy to change a system that has been there. I have a philosophy in my head, and there are little things that I can give to the players (for now),” he said.

“You cannot 100 percent change the (old) system (at once). You need to take step by step in order to get the new system and improve the team.”

@mihlalibaleka 

The Star

Like us on Facebook

Follow

us on Twitter

Related Topics: