‘If Mpengesi decides to fire me‚ it will be his decision‚’ says Chippa coach Larsen

Chippa United coach Clinton Larsen is targeting their two matches against Cape Town City and Polokwane City in the next 10 days to save the club from the ignominy of relegation at the end of the season.

Chippa host City at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Friday and they travel to the Peter Mokaba Stadium to take on Polokwane next Saturday (May 4)‚ while their last match of the season is against Kaizer Chiefs at home (May 11).

“We have another tough one against Cape Town City on Friday‚ then we have Polokwane City thereafter and I would like to get the job done in those two games because I don’t want to leave it for the last game‚” Larsen said after his team lost 3-2 to Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus on Tuesday.

“We have to keep the energy and intensity levels high in the next three games and if we do that I believe that we will get the necessary points.

"The good thing is that we have a few players who are coming back after they missed the Sundowns match.

“I played with a whole new defence against Sundowns and we also took a risk by starting with a new attack where I played Rhulani Manzini‚ Daine Klate and Ruzaigh Gamildien‚ and I thought they did well.

“When we made the changes‚ you could see that Andile Mbenyane‚ Thabo Rakhale and Lerato Manzini tried to change the game and we have to keep on doing this.”

Larsen’s boss‚ Chippa Mpengesi‚ is known for chopping and changing coaches but he protected his record since he arrived at the club.

“Just to let you know‚ after 17 games when I took over four coaches accumulated 12 points and I have the same 12 points in nine games‚” Larsen said.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell you that there was a significant improvement in terms of results.

“… If he [Mpengesi] decides to fire me‚ it will be his decision. Some people said I must not unpack my bag when I arrived here because I would not last even a month but I have been here for four months.

“He is very happy with my work. At the end of the day‚ all I do is my best and I think everybody can see the type of work I have done since I took over.”