Zinnbauer hoping for enough pre-season training with Orlando Pirates
We need four or five weeks and then we can work with the players, especially new ones,” said the German coach.
Josef Zinnbauer, coach of Orlando Pirateshopes to have a long pre-season. (Picture: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix)
Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer hopes to have a long pre-season with his side to thoroughly prepare for next season.
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Zinnbauer says he didn’t have enough time during the last pre-season, which made things a little bit difficult for his team.
Pirates went on to finish the season on third place, but it wasn’t what the German born mentor had wished for his team, with the second place finish having been their goal.
“But now we have a lot of information about this season and we have to work on it. We have to learn from our mistakes, to analyse ourselves with the staff and the players. I hope we have a good pre-season and not a pre-season of two and half or three weeks. We need four or five weeks and then we can work with the players, especially new ones,” the Pirates mentor told SuperSport TV.
“There was not enough time for pre-season the last time and at the end of the day the results were not enough for me. The target was second place or more but we now have to focus on next season.”
The Pirates coach explained that one of the major reasons behind his team not being consistent is the number of injuries to his key players.
Zinnbauer goes on to say his team was a bit unlucky, and every team had it tough this campaign, except for Mamelodi Sundowns.
“But the biggest problem for us was strikers. Tshegofatso Mabasa broke his leg three times, Zakhele Lepasa was out and Terrence Dzvukamanja came back just two weeks ago, Thembinkosi Lorch was out for 12 weeks. A lot of players were injured this season,” he added.
“I can’t believe we were so unlucky in some moments this season. You see in this league, this year was very crazy for all teams except Sundowns who were consistent. The other ones were up and down. AmaZulu FC were good in the last games and they deserved second place to be honest.”
After 30 league games, Pirates managed to record 13 victories, 11 draws and six losses to end the 2021/2021 season on 50 points.
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