Durban — Bottom of the log Swallows FC will entertain fellow strugglers Maritzburg United at the Dobsonville Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday at 15:30, hoping the ‘‘new coach bounce“ will come into effect following the club's appointment of Dylan Kerr as their new head coach.
The Dube Birds find themselves at the basement of the league for the first time since their promotion back into top flight football and the recent dismissal of Head Coach, Brandon Truter and his entire technical team had thrown the club into complete disarray.
Swallows have not been able to build on their impressive first season in the DStv Premiership, despite being labelled the infamous ‘draw kings’ of the Premier Soccer League last season, the club still managed a respectable 6th place finish that qualified them for the MTN8.
But in contrasting fashion, Truter is relieved of his duties at the club after registering one win and managing just three goals in the team’s opening 12 matches.
The club’s chairman, David Mogashoa explained the importance of personnel change on the Swallows bench.
“Soccer is a results driven sport and business. The departed technical team showed us that they aren’t working together and helping each other.” he told PSL News
“We are planned to bring in someone new because we did not want a continuation of the things that went wrong, so a new person will come in and hopefully come with new ideas”
In flies Kerr, the former Tshakhuma Tsa Madzivhandila (now Marumo Gallants) mentor helped the Limpopo based side to their first Nedbank Cup crown in their first season in top flight football and will look to immediately inflict a set of purpose within the Swallows ranks.
Maritzburg United Coach, Ernst Middendorp, will have cause for concern before their trip to Dobsonville as his side lies five points above the relegation zone having played two more games than 15th placed Marumo Gallants.
The Team Of Choice head into this game with a horrid goal scoring record having managed just two (one being an own goal) goals in their last seven matches, needing an 86th minute wonder strike from Amadou Soukouna to rescue a point against Amazulu last time out.
When asked about his side's recent decline in goal turnover coach Middendorp claimed that it was just a momentary issue.
“At the moment, we are not scoring goals but when we do, we score top goals.”
“We have players like Amadou (Soukouna) who are gonna help us score goals going forward,” said the German tactician.
IOL Sport