Richards Bay head coach Brandon Truter has spoken for the first time since his reappointment at the club just under a month ago.
“Braatjies” has taken charge of the Natal Rich Boyz ahead of the new season, taking over from Vusumuzi Vilakazi who helped the club survive relegation last season.
The 46-year-old former AmaZulu coach was surprisingly roped in by the club during a tentative period where big names such as Rulani Mokwena and Benni McCarthy were touted to take over.
Truter’s appointment was further placed under the microscope after club chairman Jomo Biyela publicly addressed the club’s disagreements with the previous coach.
To add fuel to the fire, memorable statements made by the chief executive of the club’s new sponsor Phakwe Gas suggested the club might be in for major renovations ahead of the new season.
It's official Richards Bay Football Club & Phakwe group have partnered.
— Richards Bay FC (@RichardsBayFC_) July 10, 2024
#ClubAnnouncement #NatalRichBoyZ #SoaringBackToRichardsBay pic.twitter.com/0rB4I31KOv
However, speaking to the media at the Prince Mangosuthu Legacy Cup launch recently, Truter revealed that the past three or so weeks have been made easier by his long-standing bond with Biyela, who has supported him from the second he arrived.
“It’s not really difficult (settling in) purely because of the relationship me and the chairman have, as well as the management team; that bridge wasn’t burnt,” he said.
“I feel very safe. I’m also familiar with a lot of faces and that made the job easier. So far everyone has been supportive. The players have grasped the concepts very nicely and they are open-minded as well as coachable.”
Given their new-found sponsorship, The Natal Rich Boys’ ambitions appear to have shifted, with the chairman expressing his desire for a top-four finish after the club made eight new signings and promoted two from their DStv Diski team.
🏆𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗼𝘀𝘂𝘁𝗵𝘂 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗖𝘂𝗽
Richards Bay vs Royal AM
🏟 Prince Mangosuthu Stadium,uLundi
📆 7 September 2024
🕰 9h00#NatalRichBoyZ pic.twitter.com/nO39HbXRUb
Truter has moved to curb the expectations around his team, but also revealed his optimism about the group he is working with at the moment.
“We have to be mindful about where we ended last season. Yes, the signings we brought are good, but the overall improvement of the squad is what we had last season, and we promoted a few youth players and I’m very excited about them,” he said.
He further added: “A few weeks at the club now, I had to come in and revisit some few things and implement new ideas.
“I had to plan a pre-season and it was an interesting three weeks for me in trying to find my feet and taking it one day at a time. But there’s good progress so far in terms of using training games and we did fairly well. I’m happy with the progress, but we’re not there yet.
Truter’s men will participate in the Legacy Cup this week before kicking off their Betway Premiership campaign with TS Galaxy on September 15 at home.