Lekgwathi warms to Leal tactics

Orlando Pirates captain Lucky Lekgwathi says they have now adapted to manager Julio Leal’s football philosophies.

Lekgwathi, who was a key part of Ruud Krol’s treble Cup winning Pirates team of last season, says Leal’s approach is vastly different from that of his predecessor.

Speaking to KickOff.com, the Pirates skipper also attributed the defending champion’s slow start to the season to the team’s inability to function as a single unit.

“The two coaches (Leal and Krol) are very different. This is probably because one is Dutch while the other is Brazilian so their approaches are influenced by this,” Lekgwathi said.

“It took us quite a while to get used to the new coach’s tactics and coaching philosophy. The fact that we also had some new players further complicated everything.”

“I am not saying that Leal is better than Krol. They are both good but their approaches are different but effective. As professional players we can now appreciate the coach’s approach so it is easier to implement his ideas on the field.”

Lekgwathi says Pirates fans should be patient with Leal, who won the 2009 Nedbank Cup when he was coach of Moroka Swallows.

“He (Leal) has already shown that he is a good coach. He has already won some silverware this season and we are in the final of the Telkom Cup.

“This shows that he knows what he is doing so the fans should be supportive and give him a chance to achieve more,” Lekgwathi said.