Thembinkosi Lorch has now made two appearances for Mamelodi Sundowns and former defender Phelelani Mpangase, who spoke exclusively to the Siya crew, has weighed in on his progress.
Lorch made his official debut for the Brazilians as a starter against his former club Orlando Pirates last weekend and critics felt that the star didn't have the best of games for a player of his quality.
The attacker was again in the team for his second appearance though he came on as a substitute against second tier outfit NB La Masia on Tuesday in the 6-1 victory in the Nedbank Cup Last 32 match.
Rulani Mokwena is a big admirer of the former PSL Footballer of the Season and is expected to help him to improve his game further going forward.
The Good
"For me, he (Lorch) has always been a very good player and I acknowledged that even when he was still at Orlando Pirates. He is a player that I have always followed with interest, and I still remember him from when he played for Chippa United (on loan from Pirates) and how well he did. He has always been doing well and I have never ever doubted his quality and abilities. I remember how I would always get nervous when we (Sundowns) had to come up against Pirates knowing that he would be there as an opponent and not just any other opponent but a top class one," said Mpangase.
On Lorch switching from the Buccaneers to the Brazilians
"It was a very good move for both Thembinkosi Lorch and Mamelodi Sundowns as the club. He is giving a different dimension to the team in how they play. For example, if you look at him and Themba Zwane, they are two different types of players, and having them both helps the team with options. Lorch will give you a little bit of speed and he is good in combination plays and in trying to get into the pockets, and Mshishi will always play around with an intensity of his own. Lorch is someone who is good in speeding up the pace of the game. I think the combination of the two players, especially when Lorch has gotten used to the team's way of playing, will be very good in making Sundowns tick. The team will be like a well-oiled machine and that is good for Sundowns," he said.
The Bad
Lorch's performance so far
"When we analyse football, there are things that we need to look at into deeper details and to those who say he (Lorch) hasn't performed well so far, what are they basing their arguments on? He hasn't performed based on what, if you say he hasn't performed well so far? A player can't be seen as bad just because he hasn't scored a goal or assisted. There are a lot of other factors of performance that are looked at. When I watched him in the two games so far, I saw a player combining well with his new teammates and I think coach Rulani told him not to try and overdo things on the field. He must have told him to take it a little bit easy and to play simple football," Mpangase added.
The Ugly
"I would imagine that Pirates supporters must have expected to see Lorch performing miracles when Sundowns played against their team. They must have expected to see him doing the things he did when he played for them, but we mustn't forget that Pirates and Sundowns have different styles of playing football. Sundowns is a team that likes build-ups, and the team is always patient in doing so and knocking the ball around and so on, while Pirates is more of a transition team. Whenever they get the ball they attack, and when they lose it, they defend. People should understand these kinds of dynamics when discussing these things," concluded Mpangase.
Will Lorch/Zwane combination make Downs dominant?
