After back to back to defeats at the hands of Hearts of Oak and Ashantigold on matchdays six and seven respectively, Didi Dramani was asked to proceed on leave from Kotoko.

Fast forward to March 2015 and their acclaimed savior David Duncan was unveiled amidst much pomp and pageantry (below, pictured). Never a man to miss a dull moment, Duncan coloured the mood by asking his microphone be changed to red.

“I have never been introduced like this in all my coaching life even though I have been appointed by big clubs like this… I’ve to work like I’ve never done,” he said as he accepted the challenge to positively turn the fortunes of Kotoko around.

Ten League games on and David Duncan is already feeling the wrath of the fans as he has amassed 17 out of 30 points for the club, leaving them eighth at the moment.

First 10 games

The composite in the main photo shows how the two coaches have fared in the first ten games and it's clear that there isn't much difference.

"People tend to think Dramani did better than Duncan in the beginning but as your numbers show, their records are quite close," says Anderson Akyeampong, a Kotoko fan.

"In fact, we can even say that Kotoko gave Didi a better team than it gave Duncan, so in that respect he's done well."

But another pundit, Charles Amoako, disagrees.

"Duncan was the same person who said Kotoko has the best players in Ghana, so if that is the case, why can't he get results with them?"

Indeed, the outspoken coach said so. Joy Sports did that story on April 1 (click here to see it)

"Therefore, if I am assessing how well he has done, that comment makes me see him as a failure, whereas Dramani was clear from the beginning that he'd need time to adapt," Amoako notes.

Prior to Dramani's dismissal, many Kotoko faithfuls had turned their back on their back-to-back league winning coach. So much confidence had been lost in Dramani that the official website of the club had written in an editorial that decisive action be taken by the club.

"These are questions that have to be answered before any move is made to fire Didi. The fans list wrong selection, tactical deficiencies and poor substitution as some of the reasons based on which they want Didi Dramani out.

"I don’t know about tactical deficiencies. I am myself deficient in that respect. However, I have, on occasions disagreed with the coach on his choice of players. Whether that disagreement provides enough ground to sack him is another matter,” the editorial noted.

But as we analyse the situation, it's looking more like Duncan is suffering from the same problems. So, what's going on?

Is Duncan to blame?

Five wins, two draws and three losses. That's Duncan's lot.

As his colleague Herbert Addo stated earlier in the week while dealing with his own demons at Hearts, all blame for poor form cannot be laid at the doorstep of a team's coach, as other components come together for every side to tick.

Duncan joined at a time the team were still trying to find their feet following the departure of players such as Seidu Bancey, Soulama Abdoulaye Rahim Ayew, Kwabena Adusei, Larbi Coomson, Isaac Boakye and Abdul Aziz after winning the league.

They were replaced with the ilk of Kojo Poku, Obed Owusu, Dauda Mohammed, Emmanuel Asante, Eric Ofori Antwi, Frank Sarfo Gyamfi and Jackson Owusu.

The quality of players, as Duncan himself said later, is not the greatest. What Kotoko needs is space to get his style embossed on the team.

Still a work in progress

Didi was a defensive minded man, while Duncan loves possesive football. Duncan's forward disposition is a reason why the defense has probably been suspect.

His core worry must be to strengthen the defense.

Duncan himself alluded to the fact his team was a work in progress. This was in May.

“I’m still observing the players and getting to know their potentials and where they can function at their optimal level.”

“We have been chopping and changing. [We are] trying to, as it were, use them to the best of their ability.

"In the process of doing that, some of them are adapting quite well. For some too, it’s been slow but with time they will come good.”

Duncan is far from a bad coach as being suggested.

He oversaw a remarkable improvement in the fortunes of Accra Hearts of Oak two seasons ago with the likes of Mahatma Otoo, Winful Cobbinah, Moro Abubakar and Romeo Agban starring.

Given the right material - which he honestly does not have - he can take time Kotoko to the next level. The onus lies on the other components of the team to tick to make the Kotoko and Duncan marriage a blissful one.

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