Orlando Pirates boss Muhsin Ertugral has admitted he faces a tough task getting his side to maintain a satisfactory level of performance.

Pirates have made an inconsistent start to the season and have now played out three draws in succession, leading supporters to voice concerns over the side’s level of play.

Indeed, the Buccaneers looked lackluster in their last outing, with only a late Tendai Ndoro goal rescuing a point for the side against Polokwane City at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Ertugral believes his side is suffering from the weight of expectation, where each successive draw has upped the pressure on his charges.

‘The problem for me is the expectation and pressure on the boys – I’m not saying the boys don’t want [to improve]; they really want – and you can see their intensity in the training sessions; sometimes we need to put the brakes on,’ he told KickOff.

‘It has to come to a point where some of us here in the team need to pull [the team through], and we know that, at Orlando Pirates, even a draw is a loss. It’s always a psychological pressure.’

Ertugral has also suggested fatigue as a factor in the side’s latest draw, with many stars having been called away to represent their countries.

‘Coming from the national team last week, I understood a couple of players had problems adapting to the daily business. All these things are not easy [to deal with], we need to look into them. [The players] are humans; they are not machines,’ he explained.

The coach concluded by admitting he is well aware of the challenges facing the side.