Marumo Gallants coach says they need some time to work on their plans

After a humiliation defeat in the hands of Mamelodi Sundowns on Tuesday, Gallants coach Dan Malesela hope they must be afforded more time to work out their plans. The team is currently on the poor run of results as they have suffered back to back defeat in this year’s edition.

On their opening fixture Gallants suffered a defeat against the Nabi’s side Chiefs by 2-1 where they finished the game with 10 man.

Malesela and his troops have played a total of three(3) matches so far and failed to even secure a single point.

Marumo are back in the top flight having bought the franchise of Moroka Swallows. Previously based in Limpopo, they have relocated to Bloemfontein.

The Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns legend questioned why foreign coaches seem to often receive a more patient approach from club owners.

Malesela said “In South African football, some of these things are triggered by us raising them because we are also guilty of encouraging these things.

“Why do we always think when somebody loses three matches, something is going to happen?”

Despite starting on the wrong foot Malesela is impressed by how his side are playing based on the performance and chances scoring opportunities.

He said “Who would not be encouraged to say that surely with this team we will not be relegated, or anything like that?.

“If the supporters who were behind the goals on the south of the stadium are clapping, who are we not to be encouraged?.

“You want to start a new chapter but for what? Is the team playing badly, are we not looking like a team that can win matches? This is a team that can win matches, so why do we start panicking?.

“I saw an article saying I am swimming in the mud and another said I am skating on thin ice.”

Dan ‘dance’ revealed that they are some other people who enjoys to see black man/child suffer and have nothing.

He said “You play two matches and there are articles like that. Why do we like a situation where people are fired from their jobs?.

“It looks like there is some fun out of it. You can see the articles when a coach is being released, it doesn’t come out nice.

“You will see headlines like ‘fired’, they won’t say you have been released or something like that. Part of our job as coaches, media and everybody who is involved is to protect football.

“We encourage good things. Let me say, ‘My team is playing really badly and I must not be here, that is another story.

“But if you see my team doing well, you protect those things, that’s why I am worried because we don’t protect our people here at home.”

Malesela expressed concern over a culture in South Africa where local coaches are not given the same amount of time to establish themselves at clubs as their foreign counterparts.

He said “There is this funny thing in South Africa where we like these funny names. So long as its got a Vichivic or Vuvuvich, we seem to be excited.

“For a local coach to make a statement, he must come from Europe. Must we find it easy to release a local coach but when Vichivic comes here we give him 10 or 20 matches?.

“When he [Vichivic] struggles, you phone Dan Malesela to come help the team. I didn’t want to go into that but I get worried when somebody starts to ask me the question of my job security.

“Why are we going there, why are we trigger-happy in this country? We are big fans of people being fired.”

Marumo Gallants still have a tricky fixture over the weekend as they are preparing to challenge limping Amazulu FC.

BY LUCKY SEANEGO