Starting 11 if it was my side!

[Stonigut]

No, not play defense all day, but play both, yes I do believe in an impenetrable or very hard to crack defense and generate offense of that strength so in fact my approach is different than yours, you believe in this Jogo Bonita business but I dot think we have that kind of ability that creates a comparative advantage over any top 50 team, but a tough defense with speed, fitness and hard physical play I could probably draw any game with a little effort. Sweet ball and lack of fitness and unnatural ability to defend creates too many holes in being competitive and literally relies on everything coming together for that one moment in many when things jell. Tough defense allows a consistent competitive platform.

[TheDread]

No, not play defense all day, but play both, yes I do believe in an impenetrable or very hard to crack defense and generate offense of that strength so in fact my approach is different than yours, you believe in this Jogo Bonita business but I dot think we have that kind of ability that creates a comparative advantage over any top 50 team, but a tough defense with speed, fitness and hard physical play I could probably draw any game with a little effort. Sweet ball and lack of fitness and unnatural ability to defend creates too many holes in being competitive and literally relies on everything coming together for that one moment in many when things jell. Tough defense allows a consistent competitive platform.

Stoni, we can't fault your side because it looks to be built for a draw in Mexico.; with any luck on the counter you never know. Still, given what I saw in Columbus, I thing we are better off with a good ball handler and distributor like Hue in the side. Given playing in Mexico, I suspect that most coaches would go your defensive route.

[TheDread]

So Dread, tell me what is the difference between a top class yard baller who never makes it outside yard and a England born with yardie roots who gets drafted at 8 yo by a pro team and is now playing championship or epl ball. In both cases they are getting good results in their respective leagues.

That is a loaded rasta cart question. You want to name the players so we don't have to guess.

[Mosiah]

Speak for yourself, Dready! Any team without Hue in the mix from Day 1 is bound to fail!

When will we learn?!?!

[Stonigut]

Naming players would be too easy, but lets just say you building a team and your objective is to make money and build a franchise in the long run.

You get your choice of top 11 yard players who have had a chance to play outside Jamaica and was not able to make the cut or 11 English league players lets chop out the epl and say league 1 and championship only and they all have been playing ball in pro outfits since ten years old which eleven would you pick, has to be one or the other.

Oh btw you are fielding the team to play a new city in the mls. The yard contingent is half the price of the English contingent.

[TheDread]

Speak for yourself, Dready! Any team without Hue in the mix from Day 1 is bound to fail!

When will we learn?!?!

LOL..you no see him dey ina my side.

[TheDread]

Naming players would be too easy, but lets just say you building a team and your objective is to make money and build a franchise in the long run.

You get your choice of top 11 yard players who have had a chance to play outside Jamaica and was not able to make the cut or 11 English league players lets chop out the epl and say league 1 and championship only and they all have been playing ball in pro outfits since ten years old which eleven would you pick, has to be one or the other.

Oh btw you are fielding the team to play a new city in the mls. The yard contingent is half the price of the English contingent.

This is not a black or white question. Obviously, the players that have been around and consistently play in a professional environment would have a better shot. However, we might have a few gems that, for whatever reason, didn't fit the pro system they had try outs for. For Instance, your black and white approach would have a young Lowe out of opportunities when, in fact, he could have been a great player. Another player would be a Jermaine Hue whose game doesn't fit many pro systems, but given a shot in a country like Italy or Spain could have prospered.

[TheDread]

I would drop it like this for the Mexico game given Austin and Morrison injured:

-----------Goalie------------


Simpson----- Nugsy -----Mapps ----- Phillips


Richards----- Elliott -----Hue----- McAnuff


-------------Johnson-----Shelton


I'm tempted to say Mattocks and Vaughan at striker, but their time will come as the competition moves along. Cummings has yet to reach form otherwise he would bump Johnson or Shelton for the Mexico game.

With the announced list I'd replace Simpson with Doyley, and Elliott with Bartley if Elliott is not 100 %. Beckford might knock out Johnson. But Hue stays. I see too many positives from him for the team to take him out of the lineup.

[Tilla]

Dread, again, I say it, you know ball. As I indicated before, you have football sense. . . Very good answers sir!

[Rudi]

This is not a black or white question. Obviously, the players that have been around and consistently play in a professional environment would have a better shot. However, we might have a few gems that, for whatever reason, didn't fit the pro system they had try outs for. For Instance, your black and white approach would have a young Lowe out of opportunities when, in fact, he could have been a great player. Another player would be a Jermaine Hue whose game doesn't fit many pro systems, but given a shot in a country like Italy or Spain could have prospered.

Alright. I take it back. Sometimes you make sense. I agree with everything you just said. Don't quote me though. Now if we can just you to deal with the Matttocks thing.....

[Mosiah]

So why yuh say wi cyaan fault him side?

[TheDread]

Alright. I take it back. Sometimes you make sense. I agree with everything you just said. Don't quote me though. Now if we can just you to deal with the Matttocks thing.....

Everyone mis understand me on Mattocks. He looks like he is the real deal, but he has to grab that starting spot from the established players. He might just do that by the end of the digicel cup.

[Stonigut]

Perfect answer, but here is the rub as a business man you have to make the call based on what you know and though as you say the real gems/diamonds in the rough would be on the Jamaican side as they may still be not exposed and they are cheaper; you would have to go with more of the known than the unknown as you are throwing down real green.

Again when guys have been exposed over long periods through a professional outfit and have had the rough bumps either grounded out or they are thrown out of the giant grinder, the pro sides have done the work of throwing out the stones that probably can never be diamonds or even diamelles.

Thus the bottom line is that when a stone keeps getting rejected by multiple systems, maybe it is not the talent as you say the talent is good but maybe it is the discipline, it is the willingness to struggle, and adhere to instruction that is the real test of the player and not necessarily the talent, that I believe is really the final rub in this equation and why a Rudi Austin or a Ricardo gardener thrive and become an integral part of wherever you put them regardless of system or place they would land on their feet, some people call it emotional intelligence, difference between success and failure even with those without it having a significant advantage in talent.

Btw what era did you play in.

[Tilla]

Some players like employees will be better fits for some teams than others. It is the reason why Arsene Wenger said no to Ibra, Drogba, Essien. Ferguson said no to Essien as well as Yaya Toure among others. These players however went on to become big names with other clubs. Yaya enjoyed success with Barca and now doing well at Man City.

Sometimes managers go by gut feel when it comes to assessing talent and just do not get it right.

BTW, Austin went to Bran where he established himself as a regular. There was rumor some time ago that Aston Villa was interested in him, but nothing materialized. I am sure he could have gone to a number of other clubs where the coach may have felt that he just did not fit their stye and therefore deny him an opportunity. The same can be said for Ricardo Gardner, who went to Bolton and did not look to go o any other club even when Bolton struggled at the bottom of the EPL. Bolton however was a good fit for him and he was obviously satisfied with the club.

So I do not think it is always indiscipline why some players get rejected. It helps a lot if the coach likes your game and decide to include you in his plans.

[Stonigut]

Yes but at the end of the day when you get an opportunity you have to make it fit until you can make better, austin and gardener have both gone through multiple trials and tribulations that would bowl over normal guys, read the reports over the years on these guys they convinced not just the gaffer but everyone at those clubs, the players, the management, the staff, the fans, they made themselves indispensable to their team, brought every person over to their side based on their work rate, their ability to adapt and ability to fit into a team. What gardener did at Bolton is ridiculously incredible, to play that long for one side, through so many injuries and many positions is a testament to adaptability.

Word out of brann on Austin shows a man that mixed with and trained with the team like he was from country, true adaptability means you will do whatever to survive and thrive, that is the fundamental failure of many of our star ballers, I just could not believe some of the reports where man couldn't make the team ecause they run too much r it too cold or somebody never like them nose or how them wear them socks, pure foolishness, make yourself indispensable until you get an opportunity to go elsewhere.