PSL coaches apply for UIF
It is staggering to think that, of the 16 coaches who started the current Premier Soccer League campaign, only five remain, as trigger-happy bosses pull the plug. Eleven is the most number of teams to change their coaches since the league switched to 16 clubs in 2002-2003, and is second only to the 1999-2000 season, when there were 18 teams in the division and 12 of them made switches.Only Stuart Baxter (Kaizer Chiefs), Gavin Hunt (Bidvest Wits), Pitso Mosimane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Roger de Sa (Ajax Cape Town) and Steve Komphela (Maritzburg United) have survived the axe to date.This season has been a return to the musical chairs among local tacticians after a period of relative stability.In each of the three seasons between 2008-2009 and 2010-2011, only five clubs made changes of coach, less than half the number we have seen in this campaign.That number rose to eight clubs in each of the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons, before dropping to seven in the last campaign.What has likely been the cause is more teams fearing relegation this campaign as the front four surge on and six or seven sides face the drop.Some clubs, such as Chippa United and Moroka Swallows, are onto their fourth coaches as the threat of relegation looms.Although we might not have seen the last of the firings, this is by no means the worst season in the PSL for coach movements.That dubious honour, since the league was reduced to 16 teams, goes to the 2002-2003 season, when 35 coaches were used.The second-highest movement regarding coaching changes were made at eight clubs during the 2003-2004 campaign.Zulu Royals (now AmaZulu) had six different men in the hot seat in Joseph Mukeba, Zipho Dlangalanga, Gavin Lane, Walter Rautmann, Clive Barker and Jacob Sakala, and were still relegated.Coincidentally, Sakala has replaced Barker at Mpumalanga Black Aces this season.Dynamos used five men - Sakala, Steve Komphela, Lefa Gqosha and Gerald Raphahlela (joint), and Anteneh Eshete - as did Hellenic, who tried Clemens Westerhof, Neil Tovey, Walter Steenbok, Sonas Malope and Fani Madida, who was fired at Swallows...
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