Orlando Pirates legend Modise believes ‘there is an identity crisis' at Bucs after MTN8 exit

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The ex-Bafana Bafana midfielder feels there is still a lot of work needed to be done by the Soweto giants after they were beaten on Saturday

Former Orlando Pirates attacker Teko Modise believes the Buccaneers have not yet adopted a defined style for their players to follow.

Pirates were edged 2-1 by Swallows FC at Orlando Stadium to surrender the MTN8 trophy which they claimed last season.

After Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer fielded a familiar squad and maintained the same tactics as last season, Modise feels that his former club is still to establish a working philosophy they can be identified with.

“I think there are a lot of questions Orlando Pirates are asking themselves tactically. I think when it comes to identity as well they are asking how exactly do you want to start playing,” Modise told SuperSport TV.

“Because when you are chasing the game you want to play with five in the midfield and two wing-backs it becomes very difficult. You see Hotto now starting to cross the ball and you have a striker [Tebogo Tlolane] who is very short and you expect him to win those types of balls.

“I think there is an identity crisis which they still need to sort out. Once you sort that out then you will be able to pinpoint which personnel is right for each position. I think if they sort out, they will stand a chance this season, which is a marathon. It's unfortunate they can’t defend the trophy but the season is long and there is still enough time to try and fix things.”

Pirates first conceded 16 minutes into the match, before again being punished seven minutes later as Swallows’ Ruzaigh Gamildien grabbed a brace.

Modise says the Buccaneers started the game on the wrong foot and employed the wrong tactics in their attempt to claw their way back into the contest.

“They didn’t start well, they were just chasing the game,” said Modise.

“You could also see with the first substitutions they made, they took out the full-backs and introduced different personnel to change the game. [Bandile] Shandu coming in to play as a right wing-back. That was required because they were chasing the game.

“They started playing long balls and those long balls suited Swallows better because they were defending as a block. It makes things a bit difficult for Pirates because they were coming with one dimension.

“But I guess when you are chasing the game you want to do anything possible to get back into the game. But if you look at the breaks Swallows got, they could have increased the lead as well because they were getting some opportunities due to some gaps at the Pirates back.”

Having been eliminated from the MTN8, Pirates now switch focus to their Premier Soccer League campaign which they kickoff against Stellenbosch at home next Saturday.

2021-08-14 23:00:02

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