Orlando Pirates have “done the hard yards” in the past week being beaten into the shape that new coach Kjell Jonevret wants from them‚ says Bucs' left-back Marc van Heerden.
The Buccaneers are yet to win a league game under Joneveret having drawn in the new coach’s first three games.
They did win a game in the Nedbank Cup under the Swede‚ 3-1 against EC Bees in East London.
After a break in two-week break in match action where Van Heerden said Jonevret had some time to better impart his style of play and gameplan on his charges‚ the Buccaneers will aim to break their league duck under the coach against Free State Stars on Saturday evening.
Pirates meet Ea Lla Koto at James Motlatsi Stadium in Orkney at 6pm.
Van Heerden said the seemingly good-natured Jonevret had brought a lightness back to Bucs’ training sessions‚ but that Pirates have also been worked hard by the former AIK coach.
“He’s brought a little bit of laughter back to us. He’s got a good sense of humour‚” Van Heerden said.
“But also when it’s time to work‚ we work. He’s put us through our paces the last two weeks and helped us with his philosophy and what he expects of us.
“It’s been a good two weeks for us and I’m sure that come this weekend we’ll see something different.
“We as players have put our hands up and realised what we need to do. And over the last two weeks we’ve put in the hard yards‚ rectifying the areas that we needed to work on.
“So I think this week we need maximum points. We need to climb up the league table as quickly as possible‚ but also taking it one game at a time.”
Bucs are in 11th place in the PSL having won just four of their 20 matches‚ drawing 11 and losing five.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
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