Keeping Neeskens shows Downs boss Motsepe has gone soft, say officials
TIED UP:
Patrice Motsepe
PATRICE Motsepe has gone soft, according to some officials at Mamelodi Sundowns who believe if the club president was his trigger-happy old self, coach Johan Neeskens would have been sacked long ago.
Motsepe could yet give Neeskens the boot, but the fact that the Dutchman is still at Sundowns after a string of poor results, when his predecessors were usually shown the door after such a bad patch, supports statements coming from the club's insiders.
Sundowns are bottom of the log for the second week running after 10 Absa Premiership games - suffering six defeats to make this their worst-ever start to a season.
If the last few weeks of the previous campaign are taken into consideration, Sundowns have tasted victory just once in 16 league matches under Neeskens.
A 1-1 draw against city rivals AmaTuks in the Tshwane derby on Saturday afternoon added to Neeskens' woes and demotivated the team further.
None of the previous coaches were ever afforded this much leeway to make amends. Paul Dolezar, Angel Cappa, Trott Moloto and Henri Michel did not last beyond five months while they were in charge.
Interim coaches Miguel Gamondi and Neil Tovey, even after winning the Premier League, were replaced months into the next season. Gordon Igesund stepped in, managed to defend the league title, but was fired when the going got tough.
Hristo Stoichkov and Antonio Lopez Habas resigned but Motsepe has often maintained that he would have kept them if they had not "volunteered" to leave.
Officials suggested that it was the investment the billionaire owner has made in Neeskens when he hired him at the start of last season that keeps him. Part of the coach's five-year contract is tied into improving the Downs' youth academy using the Johan Cruyff - the Dutch legend famous for total football - method. And that is costing the club millions, an insider said.
Should Neeskens be fired, Motsepe would have to pay out a lump sum to cover the remaining four years of his contract.
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Vhamsanda
Motsepe is an investor. He believes in long term planning despite the current losses.Report Abuse
ntshware-ke-yawa
VhamsandaMotsepe is an investor. He believes in long term planning despite the current losses
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No mfowethu,do you really mean it,or just "mocking"
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NICEBOOBS
The players are also to blameReport Abuse
Goldstone
Let these man save his money paying the coach for 4years without service wont be easyReport Abuse
ISIDINDI
Whilst Nox-man is going nowhere downs are going to mvela....ka bo yellow!Report Abuse
Bdoobs
If there is one person to blame for a Sundowns poor performance, that person is Mr. Motsepe him-damn-self. He must sell the club back to the previous owners. If he is so passionate about soccer he must start his own from the ground.Report Abuse
TLOU-LETEBELE
To be honest i grew up in the Mamelodi Sundowns family it is for the very first time some of this nature hapnd after 28 yrs Motsepe and the family are a disgrace to our farmily just wish Natasha and dem are watching what is hapning to Zola 's legacy sitting at the botttom of the log neh nerMr Billonair catch a wake up and smell the fucken black coffee man with no sugar and milk we are going to mvela bra fire that Dutch bastad and put one of the local guys in charge or else o tla itshola boy****************
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Uppercut
On saturday I watched sundowns reserve side and Alexandra united at balfour park, there just seem to be even more troubles in the reserve side damnnn and the guy called Floyd he just need to grow up..Report Abuse
Lehido
Firing the coach is not the solution.....Thodr over paid fat cats are to blame
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KatakataEmaotoAditshepe
Sundowns' only problem is Johan Neeskens.Report Abuse
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