Mixed views on Simoes' dismissal

[Mosiah]

Mixed views on Simoes' dismissal
published: Friday | September 12, 2008


Jamaica Football Federation's president Captain Horace Burrell faces the media yesterday at Norman Manley International Airport to explain the firing of national technical director René Simoes. - Norman Grindley/Acting Photography Editor
THE JAMAICA Football Federation's (JFF) decision to sack national technical director René Simoes following Wednesday night's 2-0 loss to Honduras received mixed reactions from the island's football fraternity yesterday. The defeat left the Jamaicans with only a slim mathematical chance of advancing to the next stage as they are at the bottom of the table in Group Two on one point with three matches left.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports1.html

[Sir X]

Shattered dreams!
Rene Simoes penitent after sacking over poor resultsIan Burnett, Sport Editor
Friday, September 12, 2008

SIMOES... things didn't work exactly as we planned.
AT the end of Wednesday night's 0-2 loss to Honduras in San Pedro Sula, technical director Rene Simoes told the media the dream of qualifying for the FIFA 2010 South Africa World Cup Finals was still alive.
However, hours later he was fired for failing results by Captain Horace Burrell, president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and a close friend.
"It is difficult to describe the feeling," a remorseful Simoes told reporters shortly after arriving at the Miami International Airport from Honduras yesterday morning.
"First, because you have a dream and your dream is to make people feel happy, and to feel as great as they did before, and this time things didn't work exactly as we planned," added the little Brazilian, who was re-employed on January 5 for a second stint with Jamaica's football programme.
Simoes, who replaced Serbian Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic, who was fired last year after Burrell regained the presidency of the JFF, was first employed by the JFF in 1994 and three years later guided the team to the World Cup Finals in France in 1998, making the country the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to qualify for the showpiece event.
Added Simoes: "Captain Burrell called me yesterday and said there was a lot of difficulties with finance and everything, and I told him 'don't worry about my contract, I never look for money in Jamaica'.
"I told him if my contract is a problem throw it away and put it in the garbage, forget 2010 contract that I have, so he took a decision, which I have to respect, he's in charge, that's it."
Burrell informed the players and the media of the sacking just before the delegation boarded an American Airlines flight from San Pedro Sula to Miami yesterday.
"The dream is still alive, nobody guarantees anything," repeated Simoes yesterday, hinting the decision to fire him could have been premature.
"But that's football, when you win everybody praises you, but when you lose that is not the way, so that's why I remain not so big when I win and humble when I lose.
"I love Jamaica so much, that is why I took the decision to come back, and as I told Captain Burrell yesterday, if I am the problem then I will be no more because I came to Jamaica not to be a problem, but a solution," said Simoes, who revealed that he would be taking no further pay from the JFF, though his contract runs through to 2010.
"I am coach for 35 years and I know that it is result that matters," said Simoes, who earlier fell out of favour with the Jamaican public amid rumours he was given too much power and was abusing it in his first stint, which ended in 2000.
Simoes argued that though the time was short on this stint, he was still able to do some good work with the programme.
"In football it is never a matter of work, it is a matter of results. When you look at the result, it was not good, but when you look at the work, it was okay," he said, before adding that "theoretically" it would be difficult for a new coach to get the best out of the players in such a short time before the next World Cup qualifier against Mexico on October 11.
For now, Simoes, who was set to return to Brazil from Miami today, is looking forward to the comforting arms of his family.
"I was booked to go to Brazil tomorrow (today) because I have a daughter who needs constant doctor's visit, but now I will go to Brazil today. At this time what I want is the arm of my family, so that they can embrace me and support me, to say I love you and that anyway you are my champion, that is what I want," he said.
When Burrell announced Simoes' return last December, he made it clear the coach would be responsible for all national teams, both males and females, and would also be responsible for the selection of all local coaches for the national programme, subject to the board's approval.
But the Women's programme has fallen off badly, with the exception of the Under-15s which recently won the CFU title, and most of the men's youth teams have suffered similar failures.
Added to that, the Brazilian's men's senior squad selections have come under scrutiny, with a number of seasoned professionals being sidelined at the expense of inexperienced local-based players.
However, Burrell refused to divulge the reasons for the sacking of the coach. "I will not talk about the details, but I was not happy. I looked around at everything that was happening and I had to take a very serious decision," he said.
Simoes was being paid US$600,000 annually, while his three compatriots on the technical staff were being paid US$180,000. The sacking takes effect on all four.
"Yes, the entire group will be going, I have dispensed with the entire group," disclosed an obviously hurt Burrell, who admitted it was very difficult for him to fire his friend, but he had a responsibility to the Jamaican people.
"I went back to my room last night, thought about everything, the programme and I called Professor Simoes at about one o'clock in the morning and invited him to my room, along with Horace Reid (JFF general secretary) and I explained... that I was not happy with the results.
"It is results which count. We are very good friends, Professor Simoes is like my brother, but I have a job to do and I have to put all of that aside, not think with my heart but with my head," said Burrell.
Burrell promised that a replacement would be identified "within a week".
And the JFF boss was quick to point out that his administration has not thrown in the towel on the 2010 qualifiers.
"Definitely not. I still think that we have a great chance of qualifying and therefore we are going to put all the necessary steps in place to have a replacement within a week," he declared.

[Sir X]

Rocky path for Boyz after loss to Honduras
Ian Burnett
Friday, September 12, 2008


SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras - The path to the FIFA 2010 South Africa World Cup Finals has suddenly become very cloudy for the Reggae Boyz.
And if they are to get there at all, then it is now time to hope and pray.
That's the reality staring Jamaica's national senior footballers in the face following their 0-2 loss to Honduras here at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano on Wednesday night.
Second-half goals by Ramon Nunez (59th) and captain Amado Guevara (73rd) were enough to extend the party well into the Honduran night, and the result snatched the fate of Rene Simoes and his Reggae Boyz band out of their hands.
At the half way stage of the three-zone, four-team semifinal phase, Jamaica remain firmly rooted at the bottom of the points table with a solitary point, the same as Canada,
but with an increasingly inferior goal difference (one goal for and six against).
Mexico, following their 2-1 win over Canada, also on Wednesday, remain perfect with nine points from three games and almost assured of taking one of the two available spots through to the final phase.
Honduras are next best with six points.
The Reggae Boyz's competitive and improved performance in the first half must have threatened to wreck the party, which had long begun more than an hour prior to kick-off with a capacity 45,000 blue-and-white clad supporters inside the Estadio Olimpico.
The unending Mexican waves, horn blowing, drum beating,
singing and chanting subsided somewhat when Simoes' radically changed unit, highlighting four changes from the last match against Mexico on Saturday, and a 3-6-1 formation, matched wits with the home side.
Gone was the timidity which afflicted the team in its 0-3 walloping against the Mexicans, and gone, too, were Demar Phillips (yellow card suspension), Ricardo Fuller, Deon Burton and Evan Taylor from the starting 11.
End-to-end action was the main feature of the opening minutes, with Rudolph Austin, often stifled with defensive responsibilities, being given the freedom to drive the team forward in its early forays.
But the home side, featuring
the dangerous David Suazo from Benfica in Portugal, Nunez, Wilson Palacios and Guevara threatened Jamaica's goal area.
Nunez, who scored a brace in his team's 2-1 win over Canada last Saturday, served notice of his prowess when he curled a dangerous shot just wide of Donovan Ricketts' left hand post from just outside the penalty area.
Shavar Thomas, who was surprisingly left off the squad on Saturday, was employed in a sweeper's role in the change up, but he was burnt for pace by Suazo early on, earning for himself a yellow card warning for a foul on the striker.
But Austin was relishing his more attacking role and on one of his many powerful runs, he unleashed a cracker which sailed narrowly wide of Noel Valladores's right hand post.
Then lone striker Luton Shelton tracked back to his half to steal possession before launching a solo effort, but again the Jamaicans appeared too eager to shoot from well outside the penalty area.
At the other end, Ian 'Pepe' Goodison, who was badly injured on his right thigh and leg by Mexican skipper Rafael Marquez on Saturday, saved his team with a well-timed sliding challenge after the Hondurans had made inroads through the Jamaican right flank.
Jamaica countered with Wolry Wolfe joining his colleagues by firing agonisingly wide, but again from well outside the penalty box.
The home side responded with a double effort. First, Palacios drove a hard shot towards Ricketts, which was palmed away, and then Hendry Thomas headed over the horizontal, after the Hondurans again pierced the gaping hole on Jamaica's right side.
Things took a turn for the worse at the start of the second half, after Jermaine Taylor received a gash over his right eye from a head butt from Suazo in injury time of the first half. He was taken to hospital for stitches, after being unable to see properly, as well as complaining of dizziness.
Taylor's withdrawal seemed to have rocked the balance of the team, with Marshall, who was employed as a holding midfielder, being forced back to central defence, and
Jevaughan Watson being given a second cap in midfield.
Watson almost made a hero of himself when he just failed to make contact with a cross from the left by Shelton, who had just abused his marker with a clever turn.
But the Boyz began to unravel and Ricketts was forced into denying Palacios' low drive at his near post.
Moments later Nunez delivered for the home supporters, after Suazo used all of his experience playing for Cagliari and Inter Milan in Italy, to create the opening.
The deceptive striker got the better of Ricardo Gardner and a teammate on the right flank, crossed to Carlos Costly in the middle of the penalty area. Costly held up the ball before teeing up Nunez, who cleared his way before powering home a left footer out of the reach of Ricketts.
Within a few minutes Gardner almost made amends, when his cheeky left footer crashed against the cross bar, and rebounded into play. At that stage it appeared the gods were not with the Reggae Boyz.
The opportunity arose when substitute Jermaine Hue, who earlier couldn't buy a place in a Reggae Boyz's squad clearly void of his imagination and passing qualities, picked out his skipper with a well-weighted cross field pass, and the Bolton Wanderers' man used the outside of his left foot to crash the shoot.
Then what could have been 1-1 turned 2-0 when Thomas was caught out by a beautiful lobbed pass over the defence for Suazo inside the penalty box and after controlling superbly, the Benfica man was bungled over by Ricketts and Panamanian referee Roberto Moreno Salazar had no hesitation pointing to the penalty spot in the 71st minute.
Two minutes later Guevara converted by calmly powering home to the right of a diving Ricketts.
A minute later, Hue cued up Fuller inside the penalty box, but the Stoke City front man could not beat Valladores and provide the finish that the play deserved.
And with the Boyz pushing forward in an effort to get back into the game, Suazo twice missed the frame, before Ricketts compounded his frustrations with a good save low down nearing the end.
But by then Suazo's team and supporters were dancing away with the requisite three points to place their World Cup qualifying fate firmly in their own hands.
Jamaica
Donovan Ricketts, Ian Goodison, Shavar Thomas, Jermaine Taylor (Jevaughan Watson 46th), Obrian Woodbine, Tyrone Marshall, Rudolph Austin, Ricardo Gardner, Wolry Wolfe (Ricardo Fuller 70th), Andy Williams (Jermaine Hue 55th), Luton Shelton.
Subs not used: Shawn Sawyers, Keneil Moodie, Evan Taylor, Deon Burton
Booked: Thomas (21st), Watson (54th)
Honduras - Noel Valladores, Victor Bernardez, Maynor Figueroa, Sergio Mendoza, Emilio Izaquirre, Hendry Thomas, Amado Guevara (Milton Nunes 89th), Wilson Palacios, Ramon Nunez (Martin Chavez 65th), Carlos Costly (Saul Martinez 75th), David Suazo.
Subs not used: Victor Coello, Edgard Alvarez, Oscar Garcia, Osman Chavez
Booked: None
Referee: Roberto Moreno Salazar (Panama)
Assistants: Daniel Williamson, Hairo Fuentes Batista (Panama)
Fourth Official: Luis Rodriguez De La Rosa (Panama)
Referee Assessor: Osmond Downer (Trinidad & Tobago)
Match Commissary: David Sabir (Bermuda)

[Sir X]

BOOTED - Captain fires Simoes for poor performance
published: Friday | September 12, 2008

Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor

Simoes
Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) boss Captain Horace Burrell, has listed poor results as the reason for his decision to fire his friend technical director René Simoes in the wee hours of yesterday morning.
The other Brazilians brought here recently by Simoes were also fired in the move that shocked fans after the national squad's 2-0 defeat in a [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]World [COLOR=orange! important]Cup[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] qualifier against Honduras Wednesday night.
They are Alfredo Montesso, Chico Santos, Walter Gama and his son, Luciano.
Along with Simoes, who earned US$600,000 annually, their total salary package exceeded US$1-million yearly.
The loss to Honduras was in a crucial CONCACAF Group Two semi-final round match played in San Pedro Sula.
Qualifying chances jeopardised
It was Jamaica's second loss in five days, following a 0-3 defeat to [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Mexico[/COLOR][/COLOR] at the Azteca on Saturday. Both results, along with a 1-1 draw against Canada, have jeopardised Jamaica's qualifying chances because, with half the six-[COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]game[/COLOR][/COLOR] schedule complete, they are lying at the bottom of the standings with one point.
Only two countries from the group will advance to the six-nation CONCACAF Finals.
Mexico lead with maximum nine points after winning their three [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]fixtures[/COLOR][/COLOR], while Honduras are a clear second on six.
"It is results which count and therefore - we're very good friends, Professor Simoes is like my brother - but I have a job to do and I have to put all of that aside, not think with my heart, but with my head," Burrell told local media at the San Pedro Sula Airport in Honduras near 7 a.m. yesterday.

Burrell
He added: "I told him that it was painful, but that I had to take the decision because it's my responsibility and therefore at 0100 hours this morning (Thursday), in the presence of Horace Reid, coach Simoes was fired."
That [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]meeting[/COLOR][/COLOR] took place inside Burrell's room at the Hilton Princess Hotel in Honduras, where the team was based.
"I, in fact, fired him at that time," Burrell said in an impromptu press conference in the airport hallway after he had emerged from a very brief and hastily arranged meeting with members of the JFF coaching and technical staff, as well as all 18 players in the national senior squad.
"It's unfortunate, it's not something that I really wanted to do but Jamaica's football programme is bigger than any individual and certainly the decision, I thought, was the correct one," noted Burrell.
He expects to name a replacement for Simoes within a week.
Difficult to describe
The decision also ends Simoes' second tour of duty here.
"It's difficult to describe the feeling, first because you have a dream and in your dream is to make people feel happy, enjoy and feel great as they did before," Simoes, who clearly had not expected such an eventuality, told journalists at the Miami International Airport in Florida.
"This time things didn't work exactly as we planned ... so he takes a decision, you've to respect it. He's in charge, that's it."
Prior to Simoes' return to Jamaican football, the affable Serbian-born Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic was JFF technical director. However, he was fired by Burrell for underperforming, making way for Simoes. Now, the captain has done the once unthinkable and fired his friend.

[Reggae-Fan]

Sounds to me like the general consensus is that simoes dismissal is not surprising.

[Mosiah]

The opportunity arose when substitute Jermaine Hue, who earlier couldn't buy a place in a Reggae Boyz's squad clearly void of his imagination and passing qualities, picked out his skipper with a well-weighted cross field pass, and the Bolton Wanderers' man used the outside of his left foot to crash the shoot.

A minute later, Hue cued up Fuller inside the penalty box, but the Stoke City front man could not beat Valladores and provide the finish that the play deserved.

Suppose Maestro actually had an impact on the game!

[Karl]

Suppose Maestro actually had an impact on the game!

Yes...on attacking...and I am sure he also had an effect on defending!

[OJ]

or lets asked the bigger question? Was his hiring prudent?