By Kgomotso Mokoena
Johannesburg – TS Galaxy coach Owen da Gama is content with the way he has started his tenure at the Mpumalanga club.
He says that though there is still a long way to go before they can reach their full potential, he is happy with his team so far.
Da Gama was appointed last month when “The Rockets” were failing to catch flight. They are now on an upward trajectory after a rickety start in the premier league division. The club gained PSL status after they bought Highlands Park at the end of the previous season. In the four matches he’s been in charge, Da Gama has collected seven points out of a possible 12.
They lost 1-0 to Chippa United, drew 1-1 with Orlando Pirates and defeated Maritzburg United and Black Leopards by three goals to nil.
On Saturday, they took a break from their league duties and played against TS Sporting in the last 32 stages of the Nedbank Cup.
“When I arrived, the morale was very low, there were divisions in the team and there was no self-confidence. We needed to work on the players and to pick them up. We had one-on-one sessions with the players and things have improved drastically,” said Da Gama.
“There’s still a lot to be done, we need more time. We’ve been in charge for four weeks only. It is important to realise that when you are sitting on position 10th on the log table, you are not far off from relegation, you’re only about six points from the danger zone.”
About beefing up the team or releasing players during this transfer-window period, Da Gama said that he will sit down with club boss Tim Sukazi to chart the way forward.
“I will negotiate with Tim. It’s not too drastic, maybe one or two positions where we’re very thin. I am not sure whether we are going to release players. We may use what we have as long as the players understand my technical needs and I also understand how they grasp my methods,” he added.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
