Maxwell, Bariga... great minds think alike

[Sickko]

<DIV class=HTMLTitle><SPAN id=Ar0470000 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Maxwell, Bariga... great minds think alike </SPAN></DIV><BR style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 5px; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-VARIANT: normal"><BR style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 5px; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-VARIANT: normal"><BR style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 5px; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-VARIANT: normal"><DIV class=HTMLContent style="OVERFLOW: auto"><SPAN id=Ar0470001 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Wherever former Seba United coach, Geoffrey Maxwell, was on Sunday evening about 7:00 pm, a shiver might have run down his spine. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">For in a post game interview with the new Seba United coach Danilo Bariga, whom I suspect has never met Maxwell, the Peruvian echoed the exact sentiments Maxwell had been expressing when he was in charge of the former two-time champions. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">After just three days on the job in </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0470002 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">his second stint in charge of Seba, Senor Bariga pointed out that the team had created several chances “but could not finish” against Boy’s Town in their Wray And Nephew National Premier League game on Sunday. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">This had become a litany for Maxwell in his post-game interviews as he stood by the </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0470003 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">sidelines and watched his team dominating games but failing to put away goals. He said time and time again that the team needed at least two “pure strikers” to make them better and was always at pains to often point out the differences between strikers and forwards. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">The team ended up losing more often than not and predictably Maxwell was soon on his way out of yet another Premier League club. </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0470004 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">The majority of the sentiments from Seba fans were that Maxwell, viewed by many as one of the brightest minds in the local game, had lasted way too long and should have been sent packing a lot earlier. Others were of the opinion, however, that Maxwell was treated unfairly as </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0470005 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">he was given an impossible task of producing a winner from the group of players he was handed. Maybe, they reasoned, he should have been allowed to stay until the transfer window opened in January and he had a fair chance to show what he could do if and when the club got new talent. </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0470006 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">The operative word here however is 'if'. It has been two weeks now and, barring Bariga, no new talent has emerged. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">It is still early and the club's management has two more weeks to go shopping and strengthen the team if they are to drag themselves from the bottom of the tables where they have been all season, keeping company with the promoted teams, August Town and Naggo Head. </SPAN></DIV>

[Farmah]

RE: Maxwell, Bariga... great minds think alike

Maybe you could rewrite it this way:

<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Wherever former Seba United coach, Geoffrey Maxwell, was on Sunday evening about 7:00 pm, a smile creased the corners of his mouth as felt that the brief history between his dismissal and now has served to absolve him.</SPAN>

<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">I have also long held the view that there is a vast disparity between a forward and a striker, and I have gone on record to state that Jamaica doesn't have many. Indeed, as much as I admire the skills of Ricardo Fuller I have always felt that he might be best served in a midfield position for Jamaica. On the national level the only players I have seen over the past 15 years who I would classify as strikers are:</SPAN>

<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Caple Donaldson, Peter Isaacs, Paul Young, Tegat Davis, Walter Boyd, Onandi Lowe, Deon Burton, Paul Hall, Marlon King, Teofore Bennett and Roen Nelson.</SPAN>

<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">All the rest (including Damani Ralph, Marcus Gayle, Ricardo Fuller, Wolde Harris, Andy Williams, Fabian Taylor and Chris Nicholas) were/are good complements on the forward line.</SPAN>

Let's hope Bora can find one or two during his search.
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[Karl]

RE: Maxwell, Bariga... great minds think alike

Farmah (1/11/2007)<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">On the national level the only players I have seen over the past 15 years who I would classify as strikers are:</SPAN>

<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Caple Donaldson, Peter Isaacs, Paul Young, Tegat Davis, Walter Boyd, Onandi Lowe, Deon Burton, Paul Hall, Marlon King, Teofore Bennett and Roen Nelson.</SPAN>

Let's hope Bora can find one or two during his search.
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Based on record - Burton - during his purple patch...&amp; I think if he had had the service he would have produced in 2002.

...and, Marlon King!

Unfortunately not one of our other 'so-called strikers' have had a consistent productivegoalscoring spell.

All others it has been perception that was out of line with production.

It would be interesting to have someone do the research on number of matches played/goal scored on all the others!

I am hoping that Luton's spell in Sweden would have taught him a lot as he has "a nose for goal". ...before he left for Sweden he was anti-TEAM - often failed to use a TEAMmate to get himself into greater number of goalscoring opportunities...and thus missed out on scoring more often and improved helping of TEAM - and thus missed out on scoring a ton-load more of goals. Same goes for Ralph!

Andy Williams I think could have also been a good goalscorer...but, he was never given sufficient playing timeupfront. He is TEAM ...and an excellent on-the-field thinker.

mmmm??? I wonder if could still fit in upfront?

So as I see it Bora's strikers may come from Marlon King, Luton Shelton, Damani Ralph...Andy(?) and Burton(?)...and, the two or three unknown who as always will pop-up.

Who knows perhaps our coaches will start teaching 'strikers' thatthe way to score goals is thinking out/'thinking through' the game - TEAM...best approach with aid of

TEAM(mates),outsmart opposing team... and yes, out-thinking their 'keepers and passing the ball into goal?

[T.K.]

RE: Maxwell, Bariga... great minds think alike

Karl (1/11/2007)

Farmah (1/11/2007)<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">On the national level the only players I have seen over the past 15 years who I would classify as strikers are:</SPAN>

<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Caple Donaldson, Peter Isaacs, Paul Young, Tegat Davis, Walter Boyd, Onandi Lowe, Deon Burton, Paul Hall, Marlon King, Teofore Bennett and Roen Nelson.</SPAN>

Let's hope Bora can find one or two during his search.
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Based on record - Burton - during his purple patch...&amp; I think if he had had the service he would have produced in 2002.

...and, Marlon King!

Unfortunately not one of our other 'so-called strikers' have had a consistent productivegoalscoring spell.

All others it has been perception that was out of line with production.

It would be interesting to have someone do the research on number of matches played/goal scored on all the others!

I am hoping that Luton's spell in Sweden would have taught him a lot as he has "a nose for goal". ...before he left for Sweden he was anti-TEAM - often failed to use a TEAMmate to get himself into greater number of goalscoring opportunities...and thus missed out on scoring more often and improved helping of TEAM - and thus missed out on scoring a ton-load more of goals. Same goes for Ralph!

Andy Williams I think could have also been a good goalscorer...but, he was never given sufficient playing timeupfront. He is TEAM ...and an excellent on-the-field thinker.

mmmm??? I wonder if could still fit in upfront?

So as I see it Bora's strikers may come from Marlon King, Luton Shelton, Damani Ralph...Andy(?) and Burton(?)...and, the two or three unknown who as always will pop-up.

Who knows perhaps our coaches will start teaching 'strikers' thatthe way to score goals is thinking out/'thinking through' the game - TEAM...best approach with aid of

TEAM(mates),outsmart opposing team... and yes, out-thinking their 'keepers and passing the ball into goal?

You know Karl I have given alot of thought to the 2002 strike pairing of Onandi Lowe and Burton and I believe fully that Olivera did a complete disservice to both players.

Deon Burton is a forward who has to be partnered with another mobile and dynamic forward to be succesful. Onandiat 6'3-4 and built for the NFL was never going to be that player.I think the forward line was so stagnant with the both of them on the field at the same time that we made it extra hard on ourselves. Simoes had it right when he gave Deon the partnership of a Paul Hall. They both could buzz around the field busy as a bee and not be placed into a position of having to match physically with defenders where they would lose out.

As for Lowe I believe every Jamaican coach has done a disservice to him in how they used him. Onandi is a true center forward. In the mold of Drogba, Lineker, Shearer, Van Nistelrooy etc.,

He should have been playedup high in the middle of the field with two true wingers who could open up spaces for Lowe to attack. He should have never been played with a complimentary forward as it forced him to waste too much energychasing and getting into position for the next pass. With a physical specimen and a goal scorer like him theKISS method would have been the way to go. Let him do what he does best.....knock balls down for other players, bully his way into the box, set pieces, manhandle defendersand score.

Just my 2 cents. - T.K.