United appoint Buckley as interim coach
"It's a normal situation when a coach goes, players start thinking about what's going to happen," said Buckley after he was handed the reins at United.
Delron Buckley. Pic: Duif du Toit / Gallo Images
Maritzburg United have made Delron Buckley caretaker coach of the side, as they seek a permanent replacement for the sacked Eric Tinkler.
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Buckley’s appointment comes after the Blue Hearts fired Eric Tinkler following a string of poor results in the opening round of 2020/2021 Dstv Premiership – the side has not registered a win in four league encounters, and also lost their MTN8 quarterfinal to Kaizer Chiefs.
The former Bafana Bafana player, who was already on the coaching staff as an assistant to Tinkler. says he will have to work on the mental state of the players, as he believes the squad can compete in the league but need to be motivated.
“For me now as a caretaker coach I have to boost the players’ morale , (to) get them motivated and get them prepared for the game on Friday.
“It’s up to the players to take the situation into their own hands,” Buckley told the club’s website. “It’s a do or die game and the minute they put their foot onto the pitch, they must realise that if we are going to win, we are going to have to be aggressive and challenge for every ball.
“Sometimes when the going gets tough, you can’t play pretty football. You have to play the ugly way to win games.”
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