Augusto Palacios wants to leave his successor with a well-oiled and winning machine when he vacates the Orlando Pirates coaching job after Saturday’s Absa Premiership match at Cape Town City.

Palacios’ latest tenure as caretaker coach – his fifth in total for the club – is set to come to an end after a tumultuous last week when the club’s chairman Irvin Khoza names a new full-time coach on Monday.

Pirates are in a slump after going eight games in all competitions without victory since winning at Chippa United in November but the 65-year-old Peruvian hopes that he can turn things around at Cape Town Stadium.

“We know it’s a good team and the game is going to be tough. But we need to be strong. There is nothing we can do now to reverse what has happened before‚” Palacios said.

“But if we can get a good result we can give the new coach the right atmosphere to begin his work. We all hope that the new coach can lift the team.”

The last time Palacios was coach‚ he replaced Julio Leal and saw Pirates through to the PSL title.

But this time he says there have been many other differences‚ not least having to take over from Muhsin Ertugral much earlier in the season.

 “This time there were a lot of new faces I never knew. There were just a few left over from my last time like Happy Jele‚ Oupa Manysia and Brighton Mhlongo. All the rest were new players I needed time to understand‚” he said.

Palacios said he would be happy to help the new coach – whose identity remains the subject of furious speculation – with any advice should he be seeking it.

“I always wish the best to this club‚” he said.

Palacios has been at Pirates for 22 years and will return to work at the club’s academy.

- TMG Digital