Muhsin Ertugral has got to wake up and smell the coffee - regardless of the outcome of Tuesday night’s Absa Premiership clash between his Orlando Pirates side and SuperSport United. The Buccaneers coach has got some serious introspection to do or risk losing whatever backing he has left at the club.
The goalless draw in the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday, which meant Pirates had succumbed to a fourth successive stalemate in the league, only served to highlight that the German-Turk appears to be living in his own universe.
He again told all and sundry that he shouldn’t be expected to produce miracles at Pirates because this was a side that underachieved last season, finishing in seventh place on the log and ending the campaign without silverware despite reaching two cup finals under Eric Tinkler, his predecessor.
I would have thought his arrival only validates the fact that he should be seen as some kind of miracle worker and that being a former Chiefs coach, he would understand exactly what is expected of him at a massive club like Pirates. Instead, Ertugral spends much of his time insulting our intelligence and berating us for arguing that he is indeed under pressure.
One win in five matches - before Tuesday night - is obviously a concern for championship hopefuls, and the fact that the MTN8 trophy was a missed opportunity also means there will be a lot of scrutiny that comes Ertugral’s way.
In his view, there’s pressure in war-torn countries and not in his current post as Pirates coach. Absurd. He must not have heard what club chairman Irvin Khoza told several reporters shortly before the start of the 2016/17 season as a reminder of the hard work that lies ahead. I am only happy to jog Ertugral’s memory.
Khoza said: “Now that he (Ertugral) is inside, he understands that it is not easy to coach Pirates. When we refresh the team, we are doing so listening to the expectations of many of our stakeholders. We don’t have to say much, but he knows that his life is no longer private.”
And if that wasn’t clear enough, the boss made a few more statements. “Wherever he goes now, everyone talks to him, unlike before he came. It was easy for him. When he was with (Mpumalanga Black) Aces he was on a bit of holiday I think. But not anymore because 24/7 he has to answer something.”
I will argue that Ertugral has contradicted the chairman a little bit over the past few weeks because he feels he doesn’t really have to answer to anyone. The coach even went as far as suggesting journalists don’t quite understand football and he was tired of explaining himself over and over again.
Remember Johan Neeskens? The Mamelodi Sundowns coach was livid with reporters when things were going pear-shaped during his tenure and told us he was in no mood to take any criticism from the press because “none of you have ever kicked a ball”. He was sent packing not long after those remarks - not that the two were related. And he was wrong, we have our weekly media league and do plenty of kicking there.
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The Star