Former Orlando Pirates striker Phumudzo Manenzhe has highlighted coach Jose Riveiro’s major changes to the club.
The Spaniard joined Pirates during the pre-season and has been in charge for 11 games in the DStv Premiership.
The man nicknamed ‘The Bold’ has noticed a few changes since he took over. He describes the Pirates setup as more structural and solid than last season.
CHANGED FORMATION
Manenzhe backs Riveiro to succeed at the Buccaneers. While results have been inconsistent, he is convinced the team is moving in the right direction.
“They look more structural, they look more solid, it’s hard to break down that Orlando Pirates team. Yes, it’s worrying the set plays are still a difficulty for Orlando Pirates’ defence, but from the structure Riveiro brought, he brought a lot of stability,” Manenzhe told the media.
“He has changed the formation since arriving; Orlando Pirates used to play a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 formation. Now there is no more four; it’s three at the back.
Another reason that makes Manenzhe back Riveiro at Pirates is his modern approach. He used the example of Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola.
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MODERN FOOTBALL
“That’s the modern game; that’s what [Jose] Riveiro is playing at Orlando Pirates. It’s modern football; many people were questioning Manchester City vs Liverpool; why did Pep change from four to a back three? That’s what a game demands.
“If you are a coach and you want to stick to your way of doing things, there is something we call life coaching. Life coaching is seeing a situation happen in the field of play, coming up with answers immediately, not waiting to go to the training session,” Manenzhe concluded.
The Happy People are not grinding positive results at the moment. The club is winless in three DStv Premiership matches. They’ve recorded two draws and a defeat.
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