How Thamsanqa Sangweni completes the Pirates puzzle
Orlando Pirates have finally solved the problem they've had for over three years.
Listen to Benedict Ngwenya, Darren Maule and Sky Tshabalala discussing Orlando Pirates' new acquisition below and read more on the blog.
The mighty Buccaneers have acquired the services of former Chippa United captain Thamsanqa Sangweni. He is a complete defensive midfielder and he will fill the void that has been there ever since Andile Jali left for Belgium.
Modern football is so demanding that it requires every defensive midfielder to receive the ball from defenders and be able to turn and play forward or even dribble when there are no options.
The player that currently occupies that position in the Pirates team, Issa Sarr, is very good when it comes to breaking up opposition play, but useless when in possession of the ball.
He can't dribble and he always makes sideways passes. That allows opponents to recover whenever his team regains possession. No attacks can be channeled through him.
That limits the team's offensive options. Only wing-play is effective and opponents know that if they nullify that, the team won't be able to attack them through the middle.
That forces Oupa Manyisa to drop deep to recycle possession. The team then becomes numerically inferior in attack.
Manyisa then gets slammed by the fans for not doing his job properly, but he is compelled by the circumstances to do Sarr's job as well.
For me, the CDM position (also known as the number 6 position) is the most critical for any team. That is why the Pirates defence is always under pressure and strikers are not getting any supply.
Thamsanqa Sangweni is the player every Pirates fan has been crying out for and it's good that the management has finally budged.