Defence Force FC has it’s radar set on the 2010 season and the Tetron based boys are hoping to build on last season’s success of their First Citizens Cup with three titles this year.
Defence Force defeated Bmobile Joe Public 1-0 in the Final of the First Citizens Cup thanks to a late Richard Roy item, but had a disappointing League run finishing sixth.
The Soldiers hope to get the poor League performance behind them this season by winning the title among others.
“We won the First Citizens Cup last season and it belongs to us, however our goals this season is not only to retain the First Citizens Cup, but the League and the FA Trophy. These three trophies are vital to our club on proving our worth, and if anything else comes our way, we will be thankful for it just like Joe Public did last season,” said the former Trinidad and Tobago international goalie with a chuckle.
Defence Force will begin it’s 2010 pre-season following the Carnival period and despite the early start by some other clubs, Russell is confident his players will be more than physically ready.
“Our players may be on holidays at the moment, however we are soldiers and all our players have been given workout plans in which they are to follow. When we regroup on the first Friday after Carnival we will know who have been keeping with the plan and who are able to fit into the squad. And from then on our physical trainer will compliment what they have been doing on their personal time,” he said.
Players Must Earn Their Places
The Defence Force head coach is also looking to add new names to his squad for the upcoming season adding, “We are looking to build from our youth programs—the reserve and junior league. We have about seven players in recruitment at the moment and hopefully their training will finish by the end of this month so that they can join our team training.”
Russell explained that adding younger players is in now way fazing out the older names, however the all players must prove their worth.
“I am the person who always believe in giving chances,” he said. “So once the older players keep themselves fit and show that they can keep their place together with their experience, then I see them playing another year or two.
“And for the youths, they have to earn their place playing for the Defence Force, not just because they are new we will discard the older players,” added the Army sergeant.
Russell said that he wouldn’t make the same mistake as previous Defence Force coaches that failed to have the right mixture of youth and experience.
“Some coaches in the past failed at the Defence Force because of having a bunch of youths but no senior guys to lead them through,” he said.
“It was nothing like when I joined the team [as a goalkeeper]. Because I had Hayden Thomas and Errol Lovell to guide me through my first two years before I took on the mantle.
“I wouldn’t make the mistake as some of the coaches in the past, however as I said before, both the older and younger guys must earn their places.”
New Focus On Youth Programs
Russell also hopes for more emphasis on the Defence Force youth programs in the way forward for the club.
“In the past we didn’t have much emphasis on our youth programs and we had ups and downs in terms of results. We also didn’t put the proper structure in place to promote our youths to playing for the Defence Force Pro Team and have been losing them.
“So I’ve advised to the CDS(Chief of Defence Staff) and the Team Manager to let our youth program be ours and prepare the players to walk into the Defence Force,” added Russell.
Russell further explained that educational and discipline oriented programmes are some of the things he hopes to see introduced into the club’s youth programs to help young players into the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force.