City have one more game to play before the Christmas break away to Wits, and anything less than a point spells trouble for Olde Riekerink
JAN OLDE RIEKERINK is a coach under pressure after yet another lacklustre performance from Cape Town City in the PSL on Saturday at Athlone Stadium handed bottom-placed Chippa United a 1-0 victory.
City slipped another place down the league standings to 13th on 13 points from 14 games, while the Chilli Boys moved out of the relegation zone to 11th on 14 points after bagging a third win in four games.
City have looked like a team lost in transit since Benni McCarthy’s sacking at the beginning of last month.
Dutch coach Olde Riekerink was brought in by club chairman John Comitis to turn things around, and a month and five games later little has changed.
City did win their first league game after McCarthy’s departure under his assistant Vasili Manousakis. Then in stepped Olde Riekerink and he has only bagged two points from a possible 12.
He called the shots from the stands in City’s 2-1 away loss to Black Leopards, and then watched from the dugout as his team drew their next two matches without scoring a goal.
City lacked bite and penetration on Saturday against a coastal rival who had never previously beaten City in the Mother City.
City’s players are a proud lot, but are hurting big time. They look lost and confused trying to adapt to life under their new coach and one has to wonder if Olde Riekerink’s decision to introduce two training sessions a day, run with military precision has aided City’s drop in form.
One thing is for sure, City aren’t performing anywhere close to what they were since he arrived on the scene. The team that used to play attacking football, one that could beat the biggest teams in the league when in full cry, now plays without passion, fight and bite.
Maybe Comitis needs to step in and have a chat with the senior players to get their take on things. Then a word with the coach for his thoughts on what’s gone before. Then, if action needs to be taken, take it.
A look at the log sums up City’s plight. For a club that finished in the top five for the past three seasons to be now sitting 13th out of 16, makes no sense at all, especially with a strong squad at their disposal. To win only two games in the league, getting knocked out at the first hurdle in the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout, is cause for concern.
City have one more game to play before the Christmas break away to Wits, and anything less than a point spells trouble for Olde Riekerink.
