The 5 coaches who should look over their shoulders as the PSL resumes

As the Absa Premiership resumes this weekend from its Christmas break TimesLIVE has identified five coaches in the league who should be looking over their shoulders for the administrative axe.

1. Roger de Sa‚ Platinum Stars

De Sa has brought fight to a Stars team who started the season in free-fall under Peter Butler.

Stars’ problems this season have been self-inflicted. The club could not recognise that Cavin Johnson had done a superb job guiding such a young team devoid of stars to third and ninth in their previous campaigns.

And the untried‚ controversial former Botswana coach Butler’s appointment as Johnson’s replacement was farcical.

Under the circumstances De Sa did a fine job pulling the parachute on a skydive ending 2017 with five draws‚ three wins and two defeats from Stars’ last 10 games.

But the northwest team remain rooted in third-last place‚ still have squad depth issues‚ and an itchy trigger finger.

2. Bernard Molekwa‚ Polokwane City

Polokwane’s former team manager and communications head defied all expectations as City’s caretaker-coach last season where City ended sixth.

Molekwa continued to confound the skeptics as a full-time coach this season‚ as City reached the Telkom Knockout semifinals at the expense of Orlando Pirates in the quarterfinals‚ losing against finalists Bloemfontein Celtic on penalties.

But with City in 13th place despite an experienced team of campaigners at Molekwa’s disposal‚ perhaps finally the experiment is beginning to unravel.

3. Muhsin Ertugral‚ Ajax Cape Town

Ertugral’s return to South African football will be fascinating.

Last season’s bizarre four months spent at Orlando Pirates saw Bucs progressing decently‚ then suffer the 6-1 humiliation against SuperSport United in Nelspruit that prompted Ertugral to quit via an overnight email to chairman Irvin Khoza.

Such a strange manner of departure from such a big club may not be easy to recover from.

But Ertugral is on familiar ground at Ajax‚ who he has coached twice before. And if the coach has a tendency to work better with youngsters than big-name stars‚ there are plenty at the Urban Warriors.

All Ertugral’s experience will be called on turning what has been one of the most pedestrian Ajax combinations seen under predecessor Stanley Menzo – who are in second-last place – into a competitive outfit.

4. Steve Komphela‚ Kaizer Chiefs

Chiefs are in a healthy third place‚ and have just made a raft of quality January signings in Leonardo Castro‚ Siphelele Ntshangase and Kabelo Mahlasela‚ so Komphela should be smiling.

But after two-and-a-half seasons without a trophy‚ the club must be losing patience. And the signings will only increase the urgency to perform‚ so might just ramp up the pressure on the coach too.

Komphela knows he needs to deliver in the next six months to extend his contract. And if consistent winning results don’t come sooner than that‚ he might not even see out the season.

5. Gavin Hunt‚ Bidvest Wits

The logic is that Hunt won a league and cup double last season‚ which consisted also of Wits’ first league title in their 96-year history‚ and has added the Telkom Knockout this season‚ so the Clever Boys‚ and especially not close partner CEO Jose Ferreira‚ will never fire him.

And that would seem a fair argument. Who is out there who can be better for Wits than Hunt? So surely write this off as a one-trophy season and rebuild for the next.

But it would be remiss not to include the name of the coach on this list whose team are in last place. That’s an embarrassing position for league champions.

With their quality Wits should not stay there. But if they do‚ and fight a relegation battle‚ and if Hunt’s restless nature is somehow perceived as having resulted in this‚ then who knows? Certainly‚ stranger things have happened.

PSL weekend fixtures –

Friday:

Bidvest Wits vs Free State Stars (Bidvest Stadium‚ 8pm)

Ajax Cape Town vs Maritzburg United (Cape Town Stadium‚ 8pm)

Saturday:

Polokwane City vs Mamelodi Sundowns (Peter Mokaba Stadium‚ 3.30pm)

SuperSport United vs Kaizer Chiefs (Mbombela Stadium‚ 6pm)

Orlando Pirates vs Baroka FC (Orlando Stadium‚ 8.15pm)

Platinum Stars vs Cape Town City (Royal Bafokeng Stadium‚ 8.15pm)

Sunday:

AmaZulu vs Chippa United (King Zwelithini Stadium‚ 3.30pm)

Bloemfontein Celtic vs Lamontville Golden Arrows (Dr Molemela Stadium‚ 3.30pm)