I see some good discussions on our

[T.K.]

forward line down below. I thought this stat was interesting I saw this morning. The US men's national team's forwards have scored a grand total of 1 goal in their last ten matches.

I think sometimes we forget how fortunate we are with the talent on the forward line. Assuming a team takes 4 forwards into any match who can boast a better top 4 in CONCACAF then the Reggae Boyz? Marlon King, Ricardo Fuller, Luton Shelton, Teafore Bennet............Which one of these players would not start for the US if they were in the US' player pool? They would kill for any of those 4 on their front line.

We could even look further down our attacking line with names like Newton Sterling, Damani Ralph, Dane Richards, Jermaine Johnson, Sean Fraser, Fabian Taylor etc......Could the US leave any of those players off their roster when healthy?

I have to big everyone up for the great football back forths the past week and a half or so. Keep it up guys! It has been great reading! - T.K.

[Baddaz]

i am not sold on dane richards... has some speed yes but the touch and crossing needs much improvement... i dont see him making it to afica but i am hoping for a surprise, with his improvement... having said that, he is good to have as an available talent...

[Gamma]

baddaz on that note it does seem that the jff is keeping better tabs on the available talent.

i really like campbell rice's commitment...was nosworthy called?

on a final note while marcus gayle seemed mercenary i think the suffering he earle, simpson and hall went through has paved the way for our players to be available to represent jamaica as they don't sem to be getting that kinda of "you want to represent WHO?" attitude.

[Karl]

i am not sold on dane richards... has some speed yes but the touch and crossing needs much improvement... i dont see him making it to afica but i am hoping for a surprise, with his improvement... having said that, he is good to have as an available talent...

You are right about his touch needing improvement ...but, in the last match Dane Richards set-up a few chances and played as 'most sensible' of all our forwards.

Quick - Which after looking at his gait as he came on surprised me - and played the simple but extremely effective football. Passed and moved...and, as previously said put some 'simple clear chances on goal passes' to his TEAMmates who flubbed all of them. Got himself into great position regularly.

I'll look at the match again and tell you more on him. I was anxious to see him as I have been hearing quite a lot about him. Assasin also...perhaps, the first person here...has been mentioning him as someone the 'national boys' should give a 'look-in'.

[Assasin]

Nos was injured. Even his manager said he was dissappointed he could run out for club and country.

He definately will be there the first oppurtunity. He has said in the public square he doesn't want to represent England, He wants to play for the Reggae boyz.

[T.K.]

i am not sold on dane richards... has some speed yes but the touch and crossing needs much improvement... i dont see him making it to afica but i am hoping for a surprise, with his improvement... having said that, he is good to have as an available talent...

Yeah....to be honest though his best position is definitely outside mid. I have seen him absolutely humiliate and demoralize midfielder after midfielder in MLS. By the 75th minute the opposing outside mid has given completely given up resorting to red card scaly-esque cane cutting tackles. I really believe he will surprise us in the end. You need your outside mids to be difference makers and Dane brings that quality to the position.

Agreed he definitely has to work on his crossing. Nice to have the depth at the outside right mid position with he, Campbell Ryce, JJ, and Daley. - T.K.

[T.K.]

baddaz on that note it does seem that the jff is keeping better tabs on the available talent.

i really like campbell rice's commitment...was nosworthy called?

on a final note while marcus gayle seemed mercenary i think the suffering he earle, simpson and hall went through has paved the way for our players to be available to represent jamaica as they don't sem to be getting that kinda of "you want to represent WHO?" attitude.

I think a big part of that is that we have a good number of local players who are making it overseas now. After being exposed to a professional environment they are probably more open to the idea of quality players coming and competing for spots vs. the team of 97/98. Exposure is a hell of a thing sometimes. - T.K.

[Shatta]

Don't be fooled by Dane Richards so called lack of touch and crossing skills. He is learning on the job and while he has the basic dribbling and beating his man down pat he lacks the technical skills which comes with practise and time.

He is the master of his destiny as far as reaching Africa but he can be in that decent second pool that pushes the first pool not to be complacent.

The Road to Africa is long and so as long as he takes the chances that he is given he won't have anyone to blame but himself if he doesn't make it.

Remember speed is a premium on the flanks(means nothing if you can't cross) However I can tell that he is concentrating a lot on mastering the fundamentals of the game before unleashing his trademark mesmerizing Tuffy Barnes like dribbling skills.

Saw him play for Cornwall in the D-Cup semis and he absolutely tortures defenders out on the flanks.

Don't sleep on the hunger of these young players just getting a bly as if you note time and time again Jamaican players are competing for either player of the year award or players player of the year or fans player of the year.

I know we don't honor them and that is to be expected(a prophet is never honored on his own forum either) but don't sleep pon the youths dem as one time our world cup players were only "good enough" for the fourth Division as 2 goal scorer at the world cup TAppa went to a fourth division side and dem diss him so much he had to "ghost past" Arsenal's back line time and time again fi dem sit up and say wait deh dem man yah still believe?

See it was all about belief as time and time again we big up wi chest and say "we little but wi tallawah" Time and time again we "tek it to dem" or say "no guy no more dan we" but still we went out and expected to pick up 6 from England etc. etc.

Now we play with guy and see it clear say guy no more dan wi. We see it clear say all you have fi do is see how di thing set and then proceed accordingly.

We were working too hard. We want to kill the keeper with a power house when a simple toe punch would do.

We were always running at goal like a chicken with its head cut off and not realising that its okay to slow the game down, draw dem out of defense and exploit dem weaknesses.

Thats why when Bora came to Jamaica he was so confident as he knew that he could go around the island and pick up 11 players and teach them a system where they would compete.

Our Reno coach learnt the system and thought to himself I could do the same and so with the U-20's he did that in Brazil and failed with the Olympic team as he was being thought that just knowing the system isn't enough. Now you have to practise and pay dues.

You can't learn by osmosis you have to actually be out there playing the game and getting "touches" on the ball to learn it where it becomes second nature and you dont' have to think about the basics you can then move on to something larger.

My point is that Demar Phillips is a product of the first wave of Jamaican players who saw Bibi in the EPL and say to themselves I can be there too

Now all dem need is practise, and continue belief

Hence the next move in the operation is the visuals or "revelation" as its referred to as in the "Book of Life"

Now this time around when dem come to mi page I have the "experts" or "elders" with the word because its not about being right. Its abour "reasoning" as brethrins and being able to do it again the next day even when we disagree.

Its about learning as no one is supposed to think that their knowledge is infinite and you can't learn from a next man "Even a baby can teach you"

So a each one teach one so since when learning extends one way?

deh yah pon the gully side a do the daddy day care thing
dem really think say you exists fi just serve them
Mi see it loud and clear inna the eye dem.

When dem bawl you fi drop everything and come or dem vex
she not even know say mi no fraid fi run out pon all her too

We supposed to a team up, she a war mi

respect

[Zeppo]

I think sometimes we forget how fortunate we are with the talent on the forward line. Assuming a team takes 4 forwards into any match who can boast a better top 4 in CONCACAF then the Reggae Boyz? Marlon King, Ricardo Fuller, Luton Shelton, Teafore Bennet............Which one of these players would not start for the US if they were in the US' player pool? They would kill for any of those 4 on their front line.

Let's not get carried away here, T.K.

Marlon King is the only one who really convinces me out of the group you listed. Fuller had his shot in the Premier League had failed to impress. I haven't see much of Shelton so far, but it seems that he's shaping up to be a speed demon with a poor touch, and we already have one of those in Eddie Johnson. Besides, why can't he even make the bench in England?

It's clear that the U.S. is in a transitional period as far as forwards are concerned. McBride's retirement left a big hole. But Dempsey is starting (and scoring) in the Premiership. And if Donovan were to go back to playing forward again he would immediately be one of the top strikers in the region.

And that's not even mentioning up and comers like Adu, Altidore, Cooper, etc.

Things aren't as dire as you're making them out to be.

[Baddaz]

better tabs on available talent for sure... the talent pool is way larger than pre98... yes the 'mercenaries' have definitely paved the way... also the success of the team, exposure of talented local players overseas have all contributed to the respect of jamaica football... a desire to rep jamaica no longer elicit a laff... we now see local talent getting contracts without the w/c exposure...

[T.K.]

Let's not get carried away here, T.K.

Marlon King is the only one who really convinces me out of the group you listed. Fuller had his shot in the Premier League had failed to impress. I haven't see much of Shelton so far, but it seems that he's shaping up to be a speed demon with a poor touch, and we already have one of those in Eddie Johnson. Besides, why can't he even make the bench in England?

It's clear that the U.S. is in a transitional period as far as forwards are concerned. McBride's retirement left a big hole. But Dempsey is starting (and scoring) in the Premiership. And if Donovan were to go back to playing forward again he would immediately be one of the top strikers in the region.

And that's not even mentioning up and comers like Adu, Altidore, Cooper, etc.

Things aren't as dire as you're making them out to be.

I can only state my opinion on who I think the superior forward group are right now.

I think one goal in 10 games from the US forward line is very telling to be frank. If a .10 goals a game avergae for your entire striker player pool is not dire then so be it.

I think one of the reason everyone is so excited about Altidore is due to the fact of the lack of talent for the US at the position. Forwards are suppose to put the ball in the back of the net. He could very well be the answer. Right now he is just getting his feet wet.

Cooper forget about it. He is not on the same level as the 4 I listed.

Freddy.....that is another mid-fielder you guys are experimenting on becoming a forward.

If you guys were so capable at that position you would not have to try every tom, dick and harry out of your mid-field player pool to audition for the striker role.

Fully agree on Landon Donovan. If he plays forward he would start.

Dempsey not so much. He really is an attacking mid filling in a role for Fulham right now. A nice utility player for them but a striker he is not. (Could be my all things anti-new england bias kicking in here)

We may not be as good a team as the US but we do develop better strikers than you. Just my opinion. - T.K.

[Baddaz]

i've watched dane richards from college to mls... i still see the same things... i think he is for 2014, really... there are quite a few more talented players than him for forward and midfield... thats not saying he is not good because he is obviously talented... knowing rene, he might see a place for richards... rene might use him in ways we never considered...

[Gamma]

we need a deep goalie pool!

[T.K.]

Hold on Zeppo let me correct myself. The stat actually said....that the US forward line has only scored 1 goal in 10 games from the run of play. Sorry for the mistake. - T.k.

[Zeppo]

I think one goal in 10 games from the US forward line is very telling to be frank. If a .10 goals a game avergae for your entire striker player pool is not dire then so be it.

Keep in mind that part of those were from the Copa America, where we sent a B team.

But you're right when you point out that U.S. forwards have been far from prolific lately. As I said, losing McBride has put us in a searching phase at the moment for a go-to guy up front.

I think one of the reason everyone is so excited about Altidore is due to the fact of the lack of talent for the US at the position. Forwards are suppose to put the ball in the back of the net. He could very well be the answer. Right now he is just getting his feet wet.

Agreed.

Cooper forget about it. He is not on the same level as the 4 I listed.

Well, not until Tyrone Marshall broke his leg, anyway.

He has one well-taken goal for the U.S. in only an hour of total playing time. Not a bad start. Time will tell if he can cut it at the international level.

Freddy.....that is another mid-fielder you guys are experimenting on becoming a forward.

When he's been coming on and scoring goals for Benfica he's been doing it at forward.

If you guys were so capable at that position you would not have to try every tom, dick and harry out of your mid-field player pool to audition for the striker role.

Just Dempsey and Donovan, really. And Donovan plays forward at club level.

If anything we're guilty of converting forwards to midfield or defensive positions (Chris Albright, Quavas Kirk, etc.).

Fully agree on Landon Donovan. If he plays forward he would start.

Dempsey not so much. He really is an attacking mid filling in a role for Fulham right now. A nice utility player for them but a striker he is not. (Could be my all things anti-new england bias kicking in here).

True. Dempsey has yet to really convince that forward should be his role.

We may not be as good a team as the US but we do develop better strikers than you. Just my opinion. - T.K.

Respect your opinion, T.K. But I just don't see it that way. And certainly nowhere near CONCACAF's best, as you were suggesting.

Marlon King is the best of those you named, and he is in no way a product of Jamaican football. Born and raised in England. Had he ever even been to Jamaica prior to suiting up for the national team?

Fuller has been a major disappointment when you think of the potential he showed as a youngster. He's in his late 20s now, too, and still a lower-division player. So if it ain't happened for him yet...

I'll have to see Shelton do something at the club level before I start to believe that he's anything close to being one of the best in the region.

And Teafore Bennett is a journeyman of second rate leagues around the world.

But believe it or not, my pick is for the top striking pair in CONCACAF is Honduras.

Suazo and Leon, two Serie A forwards (Inter and Genoa), will be a nightmare for any CONCACAF defense.

And as the draw has it they will very likely be facing the ReggaeBoyz soon!