Maritzburg United coach John Maduka has pleaded for patience from the club’s bosses, saying he needs more time to get it right.
The Malawian took over during the pre-season following the departure of Ernst Middendorp. His arrival triggered expectations after his sterling work with Royal AM last season.
NO AWAY WIN
However, the club has had an indifferent start to the DStv Premiership season. Tuesday’s 3-0 drubbing by Stellenbosch has further complicated his position.
That defeat followed a home loss to SuperSport in which he singled out Rowan Human as the one player who stood out.
The result meant the Team of Choice are yet to record a win away from home. They lost to Kaizer Chiefs, Royal AM, and Stellenbosch and drew with Cape Town City.
“Very disappointing, very bad performance. We didn’t compete, started very slow and made bad mistakes at the back. We didn’t pitch. We were very bad,” Maduka told the media.
“Human was the only player that raised his hand, can the boy play against 11 players? No, it is impossible. We were very disappointed.”
“We must learn from these mistakes. We need to work hard and bounce back; we have done it before and can do it. We must know that in this league, you will be punished if you make such mistakes.”
ONE AWAY GOAL
They have only scored one goal on the road against Chiefs, and pressure is mounting on Maduka. Their only away goal came in the 3-1 loss to Chiefs at FNB Stadium.
Nonetheless, he is confident that, given time, he can still turn the tables.
“It’s been a problem, and it needs time. With time we have potential. We need patience. We will get there. Most of these players are new to the team. They were not playing in the top flight.”
“It is still early. We will come back, we are a new team, we will make changes, we need time, but there’s always pressure in football.”
NEGATIVE GOAL DIFFERENCE
With a goal difference of minus six, Maritzburg are in 15th place with nine points out of a possible 27. They have won two games, drew thrice and lost four times.
Their next fixture is against in-form Richards Bay, who are second, just two points behind Mamelodi Sundowns. They then play AmaZulu, who parted ways with Brandon Truter this week.
