FORMER national football team midfielder/striker and coach Everald “Gally” Cummings is calling for a top-level technical committee “to oversee (the) preparation of all national teams”. Cummings, the only T&T footballer to be named as Sportsman of the Year (1973), made this plea in a media release on Sunday, a day after T&T’s 6-0 humiliation by the United States in a Concacaf Gold Cup Group D fixture in Cleveland, Ohio, US.“A very disappointing performance but not unexpected,” was how Cummings described the performance of the Dennis Lawrence-coached T&T squad.
“The team lacks structure (and) organisation as some players do not seem to understand their roles and responsibilities. The team also lacks an identity because I don’t understand what kind of football they are playing.” Cummings mentioned a similar occurrence in 1987, when he took over as T&T coach from the pair of Roderick Warner and Muhammad Isa (both deceased) after a 4-1 beating from the US.
“I can’t believe we have gone back to those days, especially where technology is so much more advanced and (there are) so many opportunities available for international friendlies to test your skills against worldwide opponents, which were not available then,” said Cummings. The 70-year-old Cummings commented, “We keep hearing only excuses of learning experiences and developing but they don’t seem to be learning anything or developing. We have very good players, but they look good on an individual basis (and) not in a team situation, which shows a lack of organisation and (that they are) not being used to their strengths.
“We cannot continue to go on like this. We need the urgent establishment of a technical committee with the best soccer minds in T&T — and not friends and associates of the president of the TTFA (TT Football Association) — to oversee preparation of all national teams.” The ex-Strike Squad coach admitted, “It hurts to see national teams unable to compete in international competitions due to lack of preparation with so much available potential in the country. I have noticed teams like Jamaica, Haiti and Panama — over whom we had an advantage — are remaining competitive and doing reasonably well.”
According to Cummings, “Over the last five years, I have offered my services to the past and present administrations and the Sportt Company as a technical adviser to assist in preparation of all teams because I have been observing the inadequacies all around.“When national teams are doing well, as in all sport, it lifts the spirit of the country and builds confidence and motivates our young people.”
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Gally: Soca Warriors lack identity, I don’t understand what football they’re playing.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).
“The team lacks structure [and] organisation as some players do not seem to understand their roles and responsibilities. The team also lacks an identity because I don’t understand what kind of football they are playing…”
The following Letter to the Editor on the state of the Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team was submitted to Wired868 by Hall of Fame footballer and former Strike Squad coach Everald ‘Gally’ Cummings, HBM; CMTT:
A very disappointing performance but not unexpected. The team lacks structure [and] organisation as some players do not seem to understand their roles and responsibilities. The team also lacks an identity because I don’t understand what kind of football they are playing.
To be beaten by six goals was a huge embarrassment to Trinidad and Tobago. We had similar score lines like these in 1987 when I took over the reins of national football from deceased Roderick Warner and Muhammad Isa as a result of a 4-1 thrashing from the same US.
I can’t believe we have gone back to those days, especially where technology is so much more advanced and [there are] so many opportunities available for international friendlies to test your skills against worldwide opponents, which were not available then.
We keep hearing only excuses of learning experiences and developing but they don’t seem to be learning anything or developing. We have very good players, but they look good on an individual basis [and] not in a team situation, which shows a lack of organisation and [that they are] not being used to their strengths.
We cannot continue to go on like this. We need the urgent establishment of a technical committee with the best soccer minds in Trinidad and Tobago—and not friends and associates of the President of the TTFA—to oversee preparation of all national teams.
It hurts to see national teams unable to compete in international competitions due to lack of preparation with so much available potential in the country. I have noticed teams like Jamaica, Haiti and Panama—over whom we had an advantage—are remaining competitive and doing reasonably well.
Over the last five years, I have offered my services to the past and present administrations and the Sportt Company as a technical adviser to assist in preparation of all teams because I have been observing the inadequacies all around.
When national teams are doing well, as in all sport, it lifts the spirit of the country and builds confidence and motivates our young people.
Shabazz wants players to take responsibility.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).
Former T&T, Guyana coach ‘in a funny position’
JAMAAL SHABAZZ, who held stints as men’s coach for both T&T and Guyana, admitted that he is “in a funny position” ahead of today’s Concacaf Gold Cup Group D match between TT and Guyana at the Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, United States.
This match will be a virtual dead-rubber, as both teams are out of contention for a place in the Gold Cup quarter-final round.
The Dennis Lawrence-coached TT squad suffered 2-0 and 6-0 defeats to Panama and the United States, on Tuesday and Saturday respectively.
Guyana, with Michael Johnson at the helm, were beaten 4-0 by the US,on Tuesday, and 4-2 by Panama on Saturday.
Shabazz, who is currently the St Lucia team coach, said yesterday, “As a ‘Guyanese-Trinidadian’ who’s gone over to St Lucia, I’m in a funny position.
“I have to support my friend and colleague Dennis Lawrence and I’m always sympathetic to Guyana for what they have done for my own development, and the opportunity that they gave to me,” he added.
Numerous fingers have been pointed at both Lawrence and the TT Football Association (TTFA) for Saturday’s embarrassing 6-0 defeat against the US,at the FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland.
But Shabazz has called on the T&T players to take more responsibility for their actions.
“For TT to win, the players must take a greater responsibility for their performance,” Shabazz said. “The politicians in local football who wants to push themselves will use this as an opportunity to blame the coach for the performance against USA, the same coach who was there when we beat USA (on October 10, 2017).”
Shabazz, the former Morvant Caledonia United and T&T women’s team coach, asked, “Are they saying, that he was a good coach yesterday and a bad coach today, or could the players have applied themselves differently?”
He is expecting a good contest today (kick-off time is 6.30 pm).
“With regards to Guyana, they’ve shown tremendous promise and I like the cadre of players that they have. It’s going to be a good game.”
However, Shabazz is concerned about the performances of four Caribbean teams – T&T, Guyana, Martinique and Cuba.
In Group A, Martinique and Cuba have also been eliminated. Martinique finished with three points from three games and Cuba were beaten in all their three encounters. About his current role as St Lucia coach, Shabazz said, “(I) have had one month. We’ve been training for three weeks and we beat (Terminix La Horquetta) Rangers on two occasions.
“I’m very happy with how the team is coming along, and the reception that I have received so far from the players and the people in the (St Lucia Football) Association. I’m eager to continue my work and further my career.”