Igesund faces chop if United fail to win

There will be no reprieve for Gordon Igesund if SuperSport United fail to win the Absa Premiership title this season, club chairman Khulu Sibiya has said.

The Matsatsantsa boss, a man who rarely minces his words, believes that the board's decision to allow the coach to hand-pick new players for this campaign should put United in pole position to win the championship. The coach asked for Bongani Khumalo, Grant Kekana, Michael Boxall, Isaka Cernak and Phumelele Bhengu.

The chairman obliged and added Bafana Bafana captain Dean Furman this week to complete all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle.

"My belief is that you give the coach all the tools that he needs and then you tell him to deliver," Sibiya explained.

"That is my philosophy because invariably coaches will always complain that they have not been given quality players or back-up. The signings have been carefully selected.

"We scored so many goals last season but also conceded a lot. So I spoke to the goalkeeper [Ronwen Williams] and he said he didn't have back-up. Right, we got Bongani and Boxall so there wouldn't be any complaints. Look at our midfield, I don't think there's a team in this country with the kind of quality midfielders that we have."

Sibiya added that he set aside time this week to communicate his expectations to the coach and his players. ". I want them to know that we mean business this season. Gordon has no excuses, but to deliver. And delivering means the league title," he said.

Asked what steps he would take if United finished the campaign empty-handed, Sibiya suggested Igesund could be sacked.

"The coach would have to give me a very good explanation for that," he said.