A Vlad of European average coaches sucks our blood dry

‘His hunger and discipline is impressive,’ said Dr Irvin Khoza when announcing the appointment of Vladimir Vermezovic as the coach of Orlando Pirates. The logic and rhetoric of executives can leave a lot to be desired at times. Yes, Vladimir Vermezovic is hungry. He has been unemployed since May 2013! Discipline? Well, let us see what that translates into…

Short stint in Serbia (home country)

Vlad left FK Partizan Belgrade club (Serbia) with 7 matches to go in April 2013. A month later the team won the league with Vuk Rasovic, who was VV’s assistant. What I am curious to know is this: what happened there that made him to jump ship at such a critical moment?

History at Kaizer Chiefs

Before then, Vlad was coach at Kaizer Chiefs, for 3 seasons. And throughout the time, Vlad took Amakhosi to boring position 3 in three successive seasons. The situation which VV left Kaizer Chiefs in was so bad that the team finished 5^th, after a series of comical performances under the caretaker coaches, Ace Khuse and Doctor Khumalo.

Vlad left Chiefs under allegedly acrimonious circumstances involving woeful player management and conflict of interest.

I remember how he pulled Abia Nale off in the first half of the clash against Mamelodi Sundowns, and how he gave the player a real dressing down right on the touch line, in full glare of the supporters and cameras. The facial expression of Nale did not lie as he walked past the bench to the dressing room, perhaps to avoid sobbing in public.

Vladimir Vermezovic stripped Jimmy Tau of his captaincy after Jimmy had chosen George Lebese to take a penalty which he missed against Golden Arrows. Chiefs lost the game 2-1 on the day.

On 25 March 2012, City Press reported that there were tensions between the coach and the senior player, Nengomasha. Vlad relegate Nengomasha (one of the most consistent players I have ever seen in the PSL) to the bench for three successive matches. It is alleged that Nengomasha had influenced the players to snub an invitation from the coach for free drinks after the 1-all draw against Jomo Cosmos at Nelson Mandela Stadium.

At some point a source at the club had said that Vlad had refused to shake hands with Bernard Parker after the latter gave misfiring performances in front of goal in the game against Bloemfontein Celtic at Peter Mokaba stadium.

It is clear that there were problems at the club and that the coach was not helping the situation.

The other controversy which followed Vlad was how he preferred playing the likes of Arthur Bartman and George Lebese on the grounds that the coach and players belonged to the same agent – Stankovic. Also on the books of Stankovic were Dominic Mateba, who also featured in the few games, and Siyabulela Songwiqi, who joined the club briefly but was later released.

Vladimir presided over what I can call the “Nedbank Cup turmoil” at Chiefs. I remember how Amatuks, FC Cape Town and Baroka FC knocked the Kaizer Chiefs out of the competition in embarrassing fashion? You would expect Jimmy Tau to weep after losing a cup tie against Sundowns or Pirates. No, it was the Amatuks kids who drove a knife into the hearts of the Amakhosi on the day.

So why is my Chairman, Dr Khoza, even talking about discipline?

PSL conveyer belt

It is hardly two years after leaving South Africa, Vlad has resurfaced at Pirates. The question I am asking myself is this: what has he done to deserve the job? In fact, what informs this flood of European coaches who come to our league to preside over lukewarm performance? The likes of Muhsin Ertugral (KC, Ajax Cape Town (x2), Golden Arrows) have returned to PSL about twice, to win nothing; and he’s gone again. Ernst Middendorp is back in the rotation (KC, Maritzburg United (x2), Golden Arrows, Bloemfontein Celtic). Kostadin Papic is at Black Leopards (Pirates and Chiefs.) These are the coaches who’ve never won a PSL title.

Vlad and RDS are the same difference
When Roger De Sa took over at Pirates, I disagreed with the wisdom of Dr Irvin Khoza and his management team. But I am just a supporter and I understand my limitations. It was public knowledge that RDS’s CV was lukewarm. He had presided over the relegation of Wits University in 2004/2005. It was Boebie Solomons who brought the club back to PSL, with RDS having gone to coach Engen Santos. Roger De Sa’s only claim to success was winning the Nedbank cup against Amazulu in 2010.

Although he had not won any major trophy prior to joining Orlando Pirates (with all due respect to Nedbank), let alone coming up at least second in the league, RDS was “given a chance.” And we all know that he left the club without a single cup glory – bar the African Champions League defeat at the finals in Egypt last year.

Is it not curious enough that Orlando Pirates suffered a similar fate of Kaizer Chiefs’ “Nedbank cup turmoil” when Maluti FET College knocked them out of the competition when RDS was in charge?

So to me, Vladimir and RDS are the same difference. When I think of the amount of money a coach like Vlad will be making at Pirates, and I look at the deserving candidates such as Steve Kompela, Mancoba Mnqithi and Ian Gorowa, who also “deserve a chance,” my football heart begins to bleed.