As T&T and the Soca Warriors approach our first Hex World Cup Qualifier on November 11, against Costa Rica, there are some serious problems/issues that have to be addressed if we are to go forward from here:
• Discipline
This is a very serious problem, especially among the young players. One suggestion is that the arm band should be given to the most disciplined player, so as to give the younger players something to aspire to. As can be seen, disciplinary action and fines after the fact clearly have not worked.
• Coach’s and players’ morale
There was great expectation that with the new management, simple things like coach’s and players’ fees would have been paid in a timely manner. Unfortunately, this has not happened and we are talking about getting into a World Cup final, not the Caribbean or Gold cup. This needs to be corrected/regularised immediately.
This opportunity is taken to congratulate Head Coach Stephen Hart for the very professional and encouraging job he has done with the team thus far, even though at times their performance has been lacklustre and also lacked direct penetration.
While we appreciate the difficulty with wanting to give all the players an opportunity to play notwithstanding the players’ egos and how they feel on the bench themselves, you must by now settle down on your starting 11, more so with regard to the defence. They should not be changed, especially if they have kept a clean slate or if there is an injury. It has been done on several occasions including our last game against Martinique, much to our detriment.
There is no substitute for experience and the team must reflect same. It is evident that some of young players are afraid to receive the ball for fear of making mistakes and eventually being heckled by their anxious supporters.
There exists a very real problem with the players and their twelfth man (their supporters), to the extent that our players rather play away from home than maximise on their power base at home. A classic example is the heckling and harassment of the Captain Kenwyn Jones in the game against the Dominican Republic at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva. This we should stop and at least show maturity especially since we have a number of young inexperienced players.
Finally to our players, when you get on the field, you are playing for all of us, not just yourself, so step up and we will be there with you.
Football Lover