IT MAY be too early to talk of a crisis at Orlando Pirates.
But with only one win in four matches, it is safe to say the Buccaneers have had a bad start to the season.
Coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic calls it a crisis of results, not performance, pointing to the lack of positive outcomes despite improved displays.
“There are two types of crises – performance and result. When you have a crisis of performance and results, then it is a disaster,” Micho explained.
“However, we don’t have, at all, a crisis of performance. We have dominated all matches we have played so far.
“Remember, in building the house you cannot put down the foundation, the first floor and immediately put on the roof at the same time. There is no magic stick, no button to press to make things improve immediately.”
However, the crisis appears self-inflicted for Sredojevic, who has tampered with a winning formula.
Why fix it if isn’t broken?
The Bucs mentor has used as many as 23 players in five matches so far, and has yet to use the same starting XI in consecutive matches.
The team that finished second in the Absa Premiership last season is barely recognisable this season.
Already out of the MTN8 Cup, Pirates have no fixtures this week and Micho should have enough time to sort out the problems in attack.
They will only play their next match when they visit Black Leopards at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday (7.30pm).
Finishing chances up-front has been the Buccaneers’ biggest problem – they have scored only four goals in five games, twice in the league.
The intervention of finishing coach Stephane Adam has yet to bear fruit but Sredojevic is confident of a turnaround.
“I believe we are creating a complete product, but that product now needs spicing from the point of angling, technique in finishing and all other related issues,” he said.
“New coach Stephane Adam is working every day with a different group of players. We are rotating them as part of a process where we are looking at how we can improve. It will bear fruit, a much better conversion ratio.”
