Exciting winger Monnapule Saleng’s loan switch from Orlando Pirates to Orbit College was meant to bring him back to the spotlight.

On the contrary, he is now in the media for all the bad reasons, with his coach, Pogiso Makhoye, clearly disappointed with what he has seen from Saleng thus far.

Makhoye told Metro FM on Tuesday that Orbit College appears to play better when “big name” Saleng is not in the team.

“So far, I think he is not giving us what we expected from him as a big player, a player that comes with this big name,” said Makhoye.

“So, those are the things that we need to sit down and check as a team to say, ‘Is he really affecting the team?’ Are we playing better when he is in the team or when he is not in the team? So, those are the things we need to look at.”

Saleng has on occasion been handed the captain’s armband, playing in the number 10 jersey, but he is finding the going tough if Makhoye’s words are anything to go by.

“Those are the things, in these two weeks (during the FIFA international break), we need to assess ourselves… There is a possibility (of seeing less of Saleng).

“Exactly, with him, to say, ‘You need to up your game.’ We were playing a top team (Orlando Pirates) on Tuesday, and you came back into the team (against TS Galaxy), and we became a different team… negatively, because on Tuesday everyone was working, and everyone could run.

“That is the mentality (in the team); that is why I am saying it goes both ways, to say he must lead us as a big player.”

Makhoye added, “Now the weight is on him; when he is not (playing), everyone is putting in that 110% (effort), but when he is in the field, they players tend to say, ‘We rely on you (Saleng) to lead us.'”

To be fair, the 27-year-old joined Orbit College on the back of a difficult season at Pirates, where he played only 13 games last season.