Building continuity with scarce resources!

[Don1]

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.

That's the problem... short term thinking.

[Don1]

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.

Whey PJ di Cbar man deh??? LOL!!!

[Assasin]

Put it this way, if our Jamaican born players can't grow and set example 100 UB40s can't help we.

I am all for foriegn players but we have to prepare our youngsters and then get a few good men.

[Stonigut]

On the point of the English issue, I am really coming around to Mosiah's point of view, the truth is we needed it in 1998, we don't anymore and the truth is those guys were truly Jamaican in their outlook they wanted this, they sought it out and they fully adapted to the situation.

The truth is that we don't need it anymore we probably have 50 players in leagues all over plus another 100 in Jamaica, the only time we should contemplate it from here on in, is if we have a clear need that is not being met and their is a player that can fit the bill and who seeks to make the connection and commitment otherwise it is a total waste of time.

[Stonigut]

Jangle, this is fodder for discussion, is like with teamwork one man do him best on one section and another may be better at taking it to another level, let the ideas roll, let all concerned build on the basic idea of structure and continuity with existing resources.

You know what talk about structure and continuity, that is our high school champs system, you cannot get a better example when you think of it. Even the rivalries have structure and continuity.

[Don1]

Jangle, this is fodder for discussion, is like with teamwork one man do him best on one section and another may be better at taking it to another level, let the ideas roll, let all concerned build on the basic idea of structure and continuity with existing resources.

You know what talk about structure and continuity, that is our high school champs system, you cannot get a better example when you think of it. Even the rivalries have structure and continuity.

word.

I've always said track is a template for Jamaica to follow in developing football with big revisions of course... track being essentially an individual effort.
But the great grassroots development of track needs to be replicated with football in some fashion.

It's not rocket science... but Jamaicans generally have an issue in developing a "team" concept.
We have no problem being great individuals... but team work? We nuh inna dat.

Teamwork needs consensus & agreement & working for a greater good... wi nuh inna dat tuh much.

Just look at the hash we've made of politics with our partisanship... said ting.

Sad

[Don1]

Put it this way, if our Jamaican born players can't grow and set example 100 UB40s can't help we.

I am all for foriegn players but we have to prepare our youngsters and then get a few good men.

With the requisite discipline and development structure we do not need "foreign" players... only if they are both outstanding for us and committed.

Sometimes I see one of those qualities in our UB40s... hardly ever both.... maybe only Burton, Hall & Simpson qualify in my view.

That's my point.

[Don1]

On the point of the English issue, I am really coming around to Mosiah's point of view, the truth is we needed it in 1998, we don't anymore and the truth is those guys were truly Jamaican in their outlook they wanted this, they sought it out and they fully adapted to the situation.

The truth is that we don't need it anymore we probably have 50 players in leagues all over plus another 100 in Jamaica, the only time we should contemplate it from here on in, is if we have a clear need that is not being met and their is a player that can fit the bill and who seeks to make the connection and commitment otherwise it is a total waste of time.

100% correct.

respek.

[Karl]

a clear need that is not being met and their is a player that can fit the bill and who seeks to make the connection and commitment otherwise it is a total waste of time.

Isn't that how you pick squad...and have greatest chance to make best TEAM?

Point is we must always pick BEST AVAILABLE PLAYERS!

NB: Not shouting at you Stonigut...screaming my oft repeat point always use best available players, matters not where they reside!

[Don1]

Isn't that how you pick squad...and have greatest chance to make best TEAM?

Point is we must always pick BEST AVAILABLE PLAYERS!

NB: Not shouting at you Stonigut...screaming my oft repeat point always use best available players, matters not where they reside!

The so called "best players" often do not make the "best team". Jamaica is a classic representation of this truism.

We have better players now than at any other time in the past ... including 1997-98. But this team is a pale shadow of that era.

To qualify your statement: We must pick the best players that fit into the team concept and playing style/philosophy that the coach has... with much weight put on players that are readily available to train with and as a team... ie Jamaican based players or any who make themselves available readily.

Which is why we MUST settle on a Jamaican playing style.. we've had enough exposure to Brazilian, English, German etc styles to come up with something identifiably Jamaican that works for us... playing to our strengths.

Otherwise we will continue to jump around as we have been doing like a headless chicken... in a bottomless pit of underachievement.

[Karl]

The so called "best players" often do not make the "best team". Jamaica is a classic representation of this truism.

We have better players now than at any other time in the past ... including 1997-98. But this team is a pale shadow of that era.

To qualify your statement: We must pick the best players that fit into the team concept and playing style/philosophy that the coach has... with much weight put on players that are readily available to train with and as a team... ie Jamaican based players or any who make themselves available readily.

Which is why we MUST settle on a Jamaican playing style.. we've had enough exposure to Brazilian, English, German etc styles to come up with something identifiably Jamaican that works for us... playing to our strengths.

Otherwise we will continue to jump around as we have been doing like a headless chicken... in a bottomless pit of underachievement.

That is why I said - best available. There are many things a manager/coach considers as he puts his squad or team together.

The sentiments expressed following your opening paragraph are ones I complete with which agree and ones I have expressed on this board and in my columns on the main site - www.reggaeboyzsc.com.

There is one thing I stay away from and that is the "Jamaica style playing". My reason is simple. We have not yet developed our talented youth (nuff-nuff ova di olla di hi-land) to express selves as high quality TEAMs (youth through senior teams) and thus have not seen enough pointers...to come to a conclusion on what is "Jamaica's style".

Frankly as a dreamer from Shady Pines I am looking at players with technical ability of Fabregas (entire team), reaction time as Shelly Ann Frazier or Asafa (entire team), quickness of a Bolt's top end speed (entire team), stamina as the Italians, strength and organisation as the Germans and winning mentally as the Brazilians.

[Karl]

word.

I've always said track is a template for Jamaica to follow in developing football with big revisions of course... track being essentially an individual effort.
But the great grassroots development of track needs to be replicated with football in some fashion.

It's not rocket science... but Jamaicans generally have an issue in developing a "team" concept.
We have no problem being great individuals... but team work? We nuh inna dat.

Teamwork needs consensus & agreement & working for a greater good... wi nuh inna dat tuh much.

Just look at the hash we've made of politics with our partisanship... said ting.

Sad

You are so right about our reluctance to work within TEAM.

[Stonigut]

I don't think teamwork will be an issue if you create the right foundation, i have been thinking on three corner stones,


1. Individual performance, skill on and off ball and doing the right things consistently at an individual level for the position.

2. Results - goal keeper; saves, clean sheets key stats for the goalie which equal a ranking. Defender - shutouts/clean sheets, assists, goals etc.; Mids - assists, goals, cleansheets,positive pass % - Forwards, emphasis on goals X1.5 ranking, assists.

3. Teamwork - Results of the team, role played in the results of the team, leadership on and off the field.

Everbody at this level have good skill, so put the emphais on the other two, so 20% individual, 30% results, 40% teamwork, everybody get a ranking. That is it, you going see some serious teamwork come out of that, this is not expenisve it just takes time and effort and some dedication.

[Karl]

I don't think teamwork will be an issue if you create the right foundation, i have been thinking on three corner stones,


1. Individual performance, skill on and off ball and doing the right things consistently at an individual level for the position.

2. Results - goal keeper; saves, clean sheets key stats for the goalie which equal a ranking. Defender - shutouts/clean sheets, assists, goals etc.; Mids - assists, goals, cleansheets,positive pass % - Forwards, emphasis on goals X1.5 ranking, assists.

3. Teamwork - Results of the team, role played in the results of the team, leadership on and off the field.

Everbody at this level have good skill, so put the emphais on the other two, so 20% individual, 30% results, 40% teamwork, everybody get a ranking. That is it, you going see some serious teamwork come out of that, this is not expenisve it just takes time and effort and some dedication.

At the TOP - ...that is the aim? Right? - everyone has the individual technical skills - (some more than some...but that is at every level?Right?) and puts in the necessary effort...it is TEAM work that separates the men for from the boys.

Look at the USA and Germany. TEAMwork has taken them more than any other nation save and except possible Italy, to where the national teams stand in FIFA World Rankings.

We need the foundations of that disciplined TEAMwork flowing throughout our system...without any reduction in the creative inclination of the players.

Going to how that creative player can thrive in those disciplined teams...think 'Der Kaiser', Karl Heinz Rummmenigge, Pierre Littbarski.

There was also a very disciplined 1986 Argentininan team with a certain Diego Maradona (who harnessed his creative talents and applied within total team concept).

Then there is...for me the very greatest player, who as far as TEAM discipline is concerned was never in a TEAM as organised as the GERMANS generally are, but a guy who 99.9999999999999999999+% of the time used his considerable technical skills for TEAM...Edison Arantes do Nascimento! For me the absolute...ignore his personal technical skills...greatest TEAM player ever born. Looking at his matches he just never seemed to have done anything in games except for team...

...and on reflection I include the action of his moving out of that pack of players to score at the 1958 World Cup finals. There was nowhere to go. It seemed as if the opponents threw every man at him...and the brilliance just 'popped'.

...but for the beginner I would recommend the 1970 World Cup final match in Mexico City. Keep eyes glued on Pele on and off the ball...please. Watch what he does without the ball and with the ball as TEAM moves and rotates? Just watch that man?!