The haste with which Highlands Park fired Allan Freese in October exposes the hypocrisy of Premier Soccer League clubs when dealing with certain coaches.
Freese was fired after five Absa Premiership matches, whereas his replacement Gordon Igesund was given 21 games, and three cup outings, before being shown the door.
The plug was finally pulled on Igesund's failed regime following Friday's 2-1 defeat to Bidvest Wits, but overwhelming evidence that he won't succeed in steering Highlands to calmer waters has been there for some time.
For starters, he took nine matches to register his first league win, although to his credit he did show early promise when he led them to a Telkom Knockout first-round win over Chippa United in his first match.
What followed after that was a disastrous run that saw Highlands fail to keep a clean sheet until in March, when they edged Free State Stars 1-0.
Igesund has left Highlands with the worst defence in the Premiership, having conceded 41 goals in 26 matches. Why the Highlands board saw fit to persist with him for six months is beyond logic.
What is clear, however, is that double standards were applied in this case. Freese was sacked after garnering four points from the first five fixtures.
Freese had, last season, led the team to promotion from the National First Division (NFD), boasting the best defensive record. At the start of this season, the playing squad was changed, with as many as 10 players being paraded at a press conference.
Whichever way you look at it, this was a major overhaul, notwithstanding the fact that Highlands were venturing into new territory in the form of the Premiership from the NFD.
Freese obviously required some time to blend the side, having been given almost a completely new team. But the floundering Highlands board could not be patient. They viewed him as inadequate for the Premiership, offered him a demotion and went for their supposed messiah, Igesund.
There was nothing wrong with that because Igesund had previously saved Moroka Swallows from a similar situation. But when he took 16 games to win his first two league games, alarm bells should have rung.
To now expect anybody, least of all an untested interim coach like Les Grobler, to rescue a sinking ship with four games to go is being too optimistic.
By all accounts, Highlands should be preparing for life in the NFD, with all their remaining games against fellow strugglers (Platinum Stars, Chippa and Baroka) and championship contenders (Sundowns).
The Highlands board will look back at that senseless decision of sacking Freese after a mere five games with some regrets. But their inaction with regard to Igesund's failure is what probably led them to this precarious point. Few would shed tears for this self-inflicted wound.
Highlands allowed Igesund to sink their ship
The haste with which Highlands Park fired Allan Freese in October exposes the hypocrisy of Premier Soccer League clubs when dealing with certain coaches.
Freese was fired after five Absa Premiership matches, whereas his replacement Gordon Igesund was given 21 games, and three cup outings, before being shown the door.
The plug was finally pulled on Igesund's failed regime following Friday's 2-1 defeat to Bidvest Wits, but overwhelming evidence that he won't succeed in steering Highlands to calmer waters has been there for some time.
For starters, he took nine matches to register his first league win, although to his credit he did show early promise when he led them to a Telkom Knockout first-round win over Chippa United in his first match.
What followed after that was a disastrous run that saw Highlands fail to keep a clean sheet until in March, when they edged Free State Stars 1-0.
Igesund has left Highlands with the worst defence in the Premiership, having conceded 41 goals in 26 matches. Why the Highlands board saw fit to persist with him for six months is beyond logic.
What is clear, however, is that double standards were applied in this case. Freese was sacked after garnering four points from the first five fixtures.
Freese had, last season, led the team to promotion from the National First Division (NFD), boasting the best defensive record. At the start of this season, the playing squad was changed, with as many as 10 players being paraded at a press conference.
Whichever way you look at it, this was a major overhaul, notwithstanding the fact that Highlands were venturing into new territory in the form of the Premiership from the NFD.
Freese obviously required some time to blend the side, having been given almost a completely new team. But the floundering Highlands board could not be patient. They viewed him as inadequate for the Premiership, offered him a demotion and went for their supposed messiah, Igesund.
There was nothing wrong with that because Igesund had previously saved Moroka Swallows from a similar situation. But when he took 16 games to win his first two league games, alarm bells should have rung.
To now expect anybody, least of all an untested interim coach like Les Grobler, to rescue a sinking ship with four games to go is being too optimistic.
By all accounts, Highlands should be preparing for life in the NFD, with all their remaining games against fellow strugglers (Platinum Stars, Chippa and Baroka) and championship contenders (Sundowns).
The Highlands board will look back at that senseless decision of sacking Freese after a mere five games with some regrets. But their inaction with regard to Igesund's failure is what probably led them to this precarious point. Few would shed tears for this self-inflicted wound.
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