IAN Wright speaks with such authority on Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates one would swear the Arsenal and English legend regularly follows PSL football.
In an interview yesterday at the Nike Centre in Pimville, Soweto, Wright did not only share his opinion on the state of affairs at Amakhosi.
He also has some advice for the club management as they look to engineer the turnaround, following four years of frustration and despair.
Wright is in the country as an ambassador for the returning Carling Black Label Cup.
Chiefs will renew hostilities with old foes Pirates in the pre-season match at FNB Stadium on 27 July. Wright pulled no punches, getting at the guts of the contentious Chiefs subject.
“I don’t think it’s acceptable for Chiefs to finish up in ninth in the league. They are going to have to make some big decisions,” says Wright.
“They are the biggest club in South Africa. But at the moment, it seems they are going through a transitional period. They are under a lot of pressure. When the current manager (Ernst Middendorp) came in around December, he tried to use the young players to get it going but it hasn’t quite worked out. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. They now know.
“It’s going to be quite exciting to see what happens with them in the coming season.
“And this is why I believe winning the Black Label is important to them simply because it’ll give them the momentum to do a lot better than they did last season.”
It really doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Amakhosi have flopped in the season which has just ended.
But the Buccaneers haven’t been great shakes either, though they can point to their near-success in the league title contest.
“Obviously, Sundowns have done very well. They’ve won the league against all odds. But Pirates probably should have won it. They were in control towards the end of the season,” Wright added.
“They should be very disappointed with that. It is not good enough for a club like Pirates.”
