Building continuity with scarce resources!

[Stonigut]

One of the things that I have been very unhappy about is the lack of continuity, the discontinuity of the Jamaican football structure especially as it realtes to the development of the senior team, the number of players that have been changed from one coaches reign to the next.

I have reviewed three matches and to take the subjectivity in choosing the matches I have included threee matches one in each year from 2007 to 2009 each played in July of that year so really this is three teams over exactly two years July 2 2007 to July 3 2009, three different coaches, 47 different players, not one of these players was in all three of the squads, (I am not even talking about playing) in all three of the matches and only 10 of those 47 players were in the squad for at least two of those matches.

This does not even include any of the teams that J. Barnes coached and the players he called which were quite different from these matches as well.

I don't know if this has ever been done anywhere else but I would like to see/call for a more structured and hierarchical system in the use of our players and regardless of which coach comes in they have to pull from this system, I think we need a six team system which basically is an A,B,C,D set of teams each with 15 players also the under 23 team and the under 20 team should be included and at least once or twice per year a one week tournanment, two divisions, round robin, then a knock out semis from there, ideally this would need to be done twice a year to keep guys focused on the competitive aspect of making the team and keeping there name in the mix, there should be a selector panel of JFF's finest and a few key retired Jamaican ballers on this panel per year with some way of evaluating theoir voting record each year. every six months players would eb rated and graded to a team with no way of improving their grade until the next competition.

This could probably only work once per year as our pro ballers outside Ja could probably only compete in the off season. In this case the other competition would go on without them and include them when they are available. Not sure how that would work but maybe the pro ballers would retain their garde until the next competition and their would also need to be a pick and drop system like the English club system. Something like three to five players up or down from each grade.

The players would be graded on team results and also on individual performance, with the success of the team adding a strong multiplier factor to their results without drowning out the individual dimension. Every 6 months the players would be graded and would be named to an A,B,C,D, E,F roster, with the objective being to make it to the top.

This would allow a more structured long term approach, better continuity across coaches and administration, a more competitive system for our players and clear results to let them know exactly where they stand on the national team picture.

This is necessary to get us out of the consistent transitional/hurry up mode in which we continually find this senior team in as we can see with the three teams played in the matches pasted below in two years, if we add in all the players that were in a Jamaican squad over this two year period I would bet it would be close to 70-100 players, this cannot continue if we are to make a mark on Concacaf football much less World ball. We must get more stability regardless of administration and coach.

This is not a perfect solution but we need something to provide more continuity and structure in our long term vision and approach to the game.

Final word, the 2009 Gold Cup team is as talented a bunch as we have ever seen, let's not destroy this team or the coach because of a short term issue in an effort to "do something" about the Gold Cup failure. The issue is vision, structure and continuity, aside from the guys not being able to put the ball in the net, which is a whole nother problem.

STATS: JAMAICA - IRAN
Played on Monday, July 02, 2007Venue Azadi Stadium , TehranAttendance: 20000JAMAICA
F. Taylor1-8IRAN
Starting Teams: Dwayne Miller **
Donald Stewart
Adrian Reid
Mario Swaby *
Lovel Palmer 4*
Nicholy Finlayson 6*
Richard Edwards
Demar Phillips
Mario Harrison 5*
Wolry Wolfe 3*
Fabian Taylor* 5* Vahid HashemianSubstitutions: Allien Whittaker
Xavian Virgo *(26)
Richard McCallum **(46)
Fabian Davis 3*(46)
Rodolph Austin 4*(54)
Keneil Moodie 5*(62)
Donovan Davis 6*(81)*(59) Mehdi Rahmati
NoneNoneCoaches/TDs: Bora MilutinovicAmir Ghalenoei

STATS: JAMAICA - EL SALVADOR
Played on Saturday, July 26, 2008Venue Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas, USAAttendance: 12600JAMAICA
0-0EL SALVADOR
Starting Teams: Donovan Ricketts
Jermaine Taylor
Adrian Reid
Obrian Woodbine
Lance Laing ****
Andy Williams ***
Evan Taylor
Wolry Wolfe **
Keneil Moodie
Ricardo Cousins *
Omar CummingsMiguel Montes
Substitutions: Javaughn Watson *(58)
Eric Vernan **(70)
Kavin Bryan ***(75)
Keammar Daley ****(86)
Shawn Sawyers
Nathan Koo-Boothe
Hugh Howell
James Thomas
Javaughn Watson
John-Ross Doyley*(45) Yellow Cards: E Taylor (44)
Watson (70) NoneRed Cards: NoneNoneCoaches/TDs: Rene SimoesCarlos

STATS: JAMAICA - CANADA
Played on Friday, July 03, 2009Venue Home Depot Center, California, USAAttendance: 30000JAMAICA
0-1CANADA
Gerba (75)Starting Teams: Donovan Ricketts (GK)
Damion Stewart
Tyrone Marshall
Claude Davis ***
Demar Phillips
Jermaine Johnson **
Rodolph Austin *
Jason Morrison
Ricardo Gardner (C)
Ricardo Fuller
Luton Shelton
Substitutions: Oneil Thompson *(71st)
Jamal Campbell-Ryce **(76th)
Omar Cummings ***(81st)
Dwayne Miller (GK)
Eric Vernon
Rafe Wolfe
Nicholas Addlery
Dane Richards* Yellow Cards: Davis (24)
Johnson (28)
Shelton (44)
Phillips (70)
Thompson (89) de Guzman (36)Red Cards: NoneNoneCoaches/TDs: Theodore Whitmore Stephen Hart

[Dunny]

Mmmmm!! very interesting.

[Jangle]

CBar yute, you may be on to something here. I need to read it again to get a full understanding, but I like the framework.

[Stonigut]

Read it again, this is to provoke some discussion from the man dem, I present the argument and we barely have any response, this is such a critical point from my standpoint.

My objective is and always has been to see Jamaica dominate Concacaf first then make an impact on worldball an impact equal to say the Netherlands I would be more than happy with that. we can't do that with the constant transition business.

We have the best combination of ballas/skill, size and speed, our teamwork is poor, creative ability is weak, discipline is there from an individual standpoint with all the guys in all the leagues everywhere; but there is no greater team discipline like say how Germany can take their crop of athletes that are neither stellar or standout individually but wrap them into a package to make a superior aggregation.

"General" Analysis of top Concacaf teams
US has weak skill, good athletes and good speed, good teamwork, good discipline, poor or no creativity however what them have good works well enough to dominate Concacaf. Mexico has good skill, poor athletes, moderate to poor speed, excellent teamwork, decent discipline, lots of creativity.

US will always outhustle Mex from here on out, the basic US guys are just better athletes and they work hard together.

Back to Jamaica so our weakness again is teamwork, discipline and insufficient creativity, you can't do much about the last one but you can correct the first two with the proper coaching and setting the table right. Again build the vision of what we are looking for create order for long term stability in how we choose guys and send them the right message on what we looking for, selfless, determined, fast etc use the sytem just like a national trials twice per year, use the rankings to motivate, if you get an F it means certain fundamentals missing and you must make achange to get to the next level.

[Assasin]

We don't really need to invest anything new, The US system works and it doesn't cost a lot to implement it in Jamaica.

The fact is Jamaica have too much coaches, from the players to the skyjuice vendor, JFF excecs and money man who never kick a ball. I personally think you have some badminded coaches in Ja who don't want to see others succeed. The fact is the US coaches work togather for one common purpose. I understand JB had to talk to Burrell early in his tenure as too many "coaches" were trying to influence. When Duckie was in the program many sat aside and make remarks that the man nuh know whe him a do and other things. When his team failed he left in a cloud, same thing happen to the coach who use to coach Meadheaven and CBar(he died last year).

The fact is instead of sticking and helping each other they are ready to say "si wha mi tell you". We have to realise if a Jamaican coach succeed all of us succeed.

The fact is the best regional youth talent have to train togather and play togather regularly to improve. The regional coaches have to be honest and be able to judge their opponent and recommend them when they are good. Players must be tracked, their improvement must be noticed and they must be given weakness to work on and they must learn the importance of teamwork.

Ronaldo himself say it best. Sir Alex taught him what teamwork is all about and he became a better player. The concept of teamwork is lost. Our system had failed us.

[Stonigut]

I fully agree with that, it nuh cost no whole heap ah money, we just need to set the program up, structure it slelct the guys that will oversee, bright and talented man like Muggy Graham, the best and brightest and most constructive ballers we have had, set up a system to review their voting so we don't have a consistent bias against certain players, regions, types etc.

As you say Assasin the truth is the man dem must play together over and over again, we are not even maximizing on e of our advatages a relatively small place that can easily mobilise the players in one place or a few places.

Pleyers must be tracked and their weaknesses detailed and documented and each of them have a review with the committee or a member of the committee to see what is the next step even have someone assigned to work with them likem say Dixon with the centrehalves, maybe ring down a Sol Campbell for a summer session every year etc

We all know what the weaknesses of our players are it look like nobody telling the players themsleves, where the hell is the improvement on the weak points.


Love yuh comments sah right to the heart.

[Karl]

....an yuh nuh waan spend lickle more time an write fi di side?
Cho man!

Dis yah good sinting fi di fanz, di admini-stra-tah dem han haul who luv wi football fi tink bout!

Even Lazie cudda fine sum-ting yah fi seh "talent nuh abound"?

Interesting take!
Respek!

[Karl]

Read it again, this is to provoke some discussion from the man dem, I present the argument and we barely have any response, this is such a critical point from my standpoint.

My objective is and always has been to see Jamaica dominate Concacaf first then make an impact on worldball an impact equal to say the Netherlands I would be more than happy with that. we can't do that with the constant transition business.

We have the best combination of ballas/skill, size and speed, our teamwork is poor, creative ability is weak, discipline is there from an individual standpoint with all the guys in all the leagues everywhere; but there is no greater team discipline like say how Germany can take their crop of athletes that are neither stellar or standout individually but wrap them into a package to make a superior aggregation.

"General" Analysis of top Concacaf teams
US has weak skill, good athletes and good speed, good teamwork, good discipline, poor or no creativity however what them have good works well enough to dominate Concacaf. Mexico has good skill, poor athletes, moderate to poor speed, excellent teamwork, decent discipline, lots of creativity.

US will always outhustle Mex from here on out, the basic US guys are just better athletes and they work hard together.

Back to Jamaica so our weakness again is teamwork, discipline and insufficient creativity, you can't do much about the last one but you can correct the first two with the proper coaching and setting the table right. Again build the vision of what we are looking for create order for long term stability in how we choose guys and send them the right message on what we looking for, selfless, determined, fast etc use the sytem just like a national trials twice per year, use the rankings to motivate, if you get an F it means certain fundamentals missing and you must make achange to get to the next level.

Damn!
yuh jus lick Lazie "nuff talent nuh deh yah" outta di ball park!

[Assasin]

yeah brethren you deh pon the right track.

Check the better school programs here for example. They tell each player what they have to do on the half season and when you come back for september you have to come in shape to do a certain amount of work out etc. The coaches keep in touch during the offseason to make sure these things are followed. All the JFF have to do is organize regional coaches and as you say various consultants.

If they are smart they could make the ministry of Sport, or education pay for it plus volinteers to do it. Make sure there are coach education but make sure the coaches are on the same page when it comes to the national program.

They need to design JFF memos on training and club management and other important stuff with training manuals with expectation of what to expect.

Jamaica leave everything to chances and the skills of our individual players.

[Don1]

Damn!
yuh jus lick Lazie "nuff talent nuh deh yah" outta di ball park!

\
You're right! But that is not too difficult a task.

[Don1]

One of the things that I have been very unhappy about is the lack of continuity, the discontinuity of the Jamaican football structure especially as it realtes to the development of the senior team, the number of players that have been changed from one coaches reign to the next.

I have reviewed three matches and to take the subjectivity in choosing the matches I have included threee matches one in each year from 2007 to 2009 each played in July of that year so really this is three teams over exactly two years July 2 2007 to July 3 2009, three different coaches, 47 different players, not one of these players was in all three of the squads, (I am not even talking about playing) in all three of the matches and only 10 of those 47 players were in the squad for at least two of those matches.

This does not even include any of the teams that J. Barnes coached and the players he called which were quite different from these matches as well.

I don't know if this has ever been done anywhere else but I would like to see/call for a more structured and hierarchical system in the use of our players and regardless of which coach comes in they have to pull from this system, I think we need a six team system which basically is an A,B,C,D set of teams each with 15 players also the under 23 team and the under 20 team should be included and at least once or twice per year a one week tournanment, two divisions, round robin, then a knock out semis from there, ideally this would need to be done twice a year to keep guys focused on the competitive aspect of making the team and keeping there name in the mix, there should be a selector panel of JFF's finest and a few key retired Jamaican ballers on this panel per year with some way of evaluating theoir voting record each year. every six months players would eb rated and graded to a team with no way of improving their grade until the next competition.

This could probably only work once per year as our pro ballers outside Ja could probably only compete in the off season. In this case the other competition would go on without them and include them when they are available. Not sure how that would work but maybe the pro ballers would retain their garde until the next competition and their would also need to be a pick and drop system like the English club system. Something like three to five players up or down from each grade.

The players would be graded on team results and also on individual performance, with the success of the team adding a strong multiplier factor to their results without drowning out the individual dimension. Every 6 months the players would be graded and would be named to an A,B,C,D, E,F roster, with the objective being to make it to the top.

This would allow a more structured long term approach, better continuity across coaches and administration, a more competitive system for our players and clear results to let them know exactly where they stand on the national team picture.

This is necessary to get us out of the consistent transitional/hurry up mode in which we continually find this senior team in as we can see with the three teams played in the matches pasted below in two years, if we add in all the players that were in a Jamaican squad over this two year period I would bet it would be close to 70-100 players, this cannot continue if we are to make a mark on Concacaf football much less World ball. We must get more stability regardless of administration and coach.

This is not a perfect solution but we need something to provide more continuity and structure in our long term vision and approach to the game.

Final word, the 2009 Gold Cup team is as talented a bunch as we have ever seen, let's not destroy this team or the coach because of a short term issue in an effort to "do something" about the Gold Cup failure. The issue is vision, structure and continuity, aside from the guys not being able to put the ball in the net, which is a whole nother problem.

STATS: JAMAICA - IRAN
Played on Monday, July 02, 2007Venue Azadi Stadium , TehranAttendance: 20000JAMAICA
F. Taylor1-8IRAN
Starting Teams: Dwayne Miller **
Donald Stewart
Adrian Reid
Mario Swaby *
Lovel Palmer 4*
Nicholy Finlayson 6*
Richard Edwards
Demar Phillips
Mario Harrison 5*
Wolry Wolfe 3*
Fabian Taylor* 5* Vahid HashemianSubstitutions: Allien Whittaker
Xavian Virgo *(26)
Richard McCallum **(46)
Fabian Davis 3*(46)
Rodolph Austin 4*(54)
Keneil Moodie 5*(62)
Donovan Davis 6*(81)*(59) Mehdi Rahmati
NoneNoneCoaches/TDs: Bora MilutinovicAmir Ghalenoei

STATS: JAMAICA - EL SALVADOR
Played on Saturday, July 26, 2008Venue Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas, USAAttendance: 12600JAMAICA
0-0EL SALVADOR
Starting Teams: Donovan Ricketts
Jermaine Taylor
Adrian Reid
Obrian Woodbine
Lance Laing ****
Andy Williams ***
Evan Taylor
Wolry Wolfe **
Keneil Moodie
Ricardo Cousins *
Omar CummingsMiguel Montes
Substitutions: Javaughn Watson *(58)
Eric Vernan **(70)
Kavin Bryan ***(75)
Keammar Daley ****(86)
Shawn Sawyers
Nathan Koo-Boothe
Hugh Howell
James Thomas
Javaughn Watson
John-Ross Doyley*(45) Yellow Cards: E Taylor (44)
Watson (70) NoneRed Cards: NoneNoneCoaches/TDs: Rene SimoesCarlos

STATS: JAMAICA - CANADA
Played on Friday, July 03, 2009Venue Home Depot Center, California, USAAttendance: 30000JAMAICA
0-1CANADA
Gerba (75)Starting Teams: Donovan Ricketts (GK)
Damion Stewart
Tyrone Marshall
Claude Davis ***
Demar Phillips
Jermaine Johnson **
Rodolph Austin *
Jason Morrison
Ricardo Gardner (C)
Ricardo Fuller
Luton Shelton
Substitutions: Oneil Thompson *(71st)
Jamal Campbell-Ryce **(76th)
Omar Cummings ***(81st)
Dwayne Miller (GK)
Eric Vernon
Rafe Wolfe
Nicholas Addlery
Dane Richards* Yellow Cards: Davis (24)
Johnson (28)
Shelton (44)
Phillips (70)
Thompson (89) de Guzman (36)Red Cards: NoneNoneCoaches/TDs: Theodore Whitmore Stephen Hart

Excellent analysis!!!!! The best post I can recall at the moment on this forum regarding Jamaica's football. (apart from my own)

The point to me is... we have to blame and hold accountable our administrators and the SYSTEM they set up for our failure to reach our potential. The system is designed for failure..not success.

It is shortsighted to place blame for systemic failure on individual coaches or players... that just reinforces the short term mentality which is the REAL problem... which is why it is IMPERATIVE that Tappa be allowed to develop the team in relative peace AND that we LEGGO DI ENGLISH MENTALITY... ie stop running down players who have little or no Jamaican background and only want a likkle glory at the WC.

Mek dem prove dem commitment fuss like Burton, Simpson & Hall.....before they are even seriously considered.
That Englishman policy is fool's gold.... and part of the problem.. not the solution.

Jamaica needs to develop its own PHILOSOPHY of the game... stick with that... and develop coaches and players to play to that philosphy.
If we do that we will be able to compete with ANY TEAM... and beat big teams on our day... no doubt... at least at a level of a Ghana or Portugal.


It has to start from the top... looks like we need a Football Summit to bring the best minds in and reach a consensus on philosophy and strategy going forward.

Our administrators have failed us badly.



A wha dis faada... anedda social contrak?

[Assasin]

a don't think in the short term we have to worry bout UB40 because we nuh have no major tournaments and the only English born player on the GC squad was JRC.

What we need to worry about is our unprofessional "professional' players.

[Jangle]

A Calabar man must lead the way. I wish I had attended that great institution, I would be a better man today.

Stony, I reread your post and I think you are on the path of writing the Bible of Jamaican football. Please go the step further and put your ideas down on paper outlining in details your thoughts. Maybe something like this has been said before, but I never heard it. These are revolutionary ideas that you are putting forward. They are simple and easy to implement. I am encouraging you to continue.

[Karl]

a don't think in the short term we have to worry bout UB40 because we nuh have no major tournaments and the only English born player on the GC squad was JRC.

What we need to worry about is our unprofessional "professional' players.

So you do not think there is also 'largest culpability' with our administrators? Let me expand - You are saying the result of years of 'growth' that we saw on the field of play displayed...was not the result of years of administrators found wanting...failed adminstrations?
You are saying years of being led by administrators who were short-sighted...that even today based on actions emanating from St. Lucia Avenue shows we have "know not that they know not" leaders...we still have short-sighted individuals leading us and resident at St. Lucia Avenue...these are not 'greatest at fault'?

I, as I have been saying over the past many years, disagree! The greatest culprits in our continuing failure to put TEAMs on the field of play are administrators ignorant of what it takes to grow our football. We have had leaders who stumble along from failure to each succeeding failure, ...failing calendar year following failing calendar year.

Yes we need teachers to point our abundance of talent in the right direction...to enable development of the individual's fullest potential and also to have fullest TEAM potential developed. ..but the administrators at the top must first provide the vehicle (policy and execution of the various actions that implemention of that policy demands) within which identified targeted direction is seen and within which teaching improves...and also within which use of that teaching is maximized.

[Assasin]

So you do not think there is also 'largest culpability' with our administrators? Let me expand - You are saying the result of years of 'growth' that we saw on the field of play displayed...was not the result of years of administrators found wanting...failed adminstrations?
"You are saying years of being led by administrators who were short-sighted...that even today based on actions emanating from St. Lucia Avenue shows we have "know not that they know not" leaders...we still have short-sighted individuals leading us and resident at St. Lucia Avenue...these are not 'greatest at fault'?

Where did I say all of that? The fact is most of our players are professionals and they need to set example for the younger players. They fail to lead the younger players, on and off the field.