Former National coach Bertille St Clair believes this country’s football can escape from its current troubles and return to the glory days it experienced in the Caribbean and Concacaf particularly during his time at the helm.
As a matter of fact, the Tobago-born coach is offering his services to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation to assist in its development programme which is being orchestrated by Technical Director Anton Corneal.
St Clair was at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet last Wednesday to witness the T&T Under 23s 1-0 victory over Finland and expressed some form of satisfaction over the team’s progress.
“I think they are growing and from what I am seeing this evening they have gained some confidence and I like their aggression and their touches has started to develop also,” St Clair commented.
St Clair, a past T&T Olympic team head-coach with the likes of Carlos Edwards, Brent Sancho, Hector Sam, Brent Rahim, Jason Scotland, Kerwin Jemmot, Jefferson George and Derek King in his team, wants to see more emphasis on development and is supporting Corneal in his efforts to do so.
St Clair led T&T to the 1991 FIFA World Youth Cup in Portugal and also led the team to its best ever finish, a semi-final spot at the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also coached the T&T team for part of the 2006 World Cup campaign prior to Leo Beenhakker’s appointment.
He also led T&T to the 1997 and 1999 Caribbean Cup titles. “Actually we can’t go lower and right now it’s an opportunity for us to start to develop again. Sometimes you are up sometimes you are down and it’s an opportunity to get better. But we have to put the right people in charge and the right things in place,” he added.
On that note, he touched on Corneal’s appointment, saying: “I hope he gets the support, Anton is a qualified coach and he is educated. He needs the support from everyone and I don’t mind making a contribution. I’m happy with the things I did in the past. I’m happy for Anton and if he wants any support I’m here to give it.”
He spoke briefly on the 2006 World Cup team and some of the ingredients he thinks can help T&T achieve some form of success. “The team (2006) was well balanced and we did well. Now I do things for Tobago’s children and Trinidad’s children and I want to see our football develop to the highest level.
Actually I’m playing my part through my coaching school. I had some offers to go to Grenada and St Kitts but I thought that I could do something for Trinidad and Tobago football. We have a lot of talented kids in Tobago and we need to get them exposed and the Football Federation needs to focus on that. Football is all about results also,” St Clair added.
“I remember when I spent some time at Bristol Rovers and Bobby Gould was the manager. He used to say there are three As in football. The first one is ability and we have that in our football. We need a little bit more of aggression and then there’s attitude and that’s how we build our character. Those are some of the things I would like us to work on to get back to the next level,” St Clair said.
Coach St Clair offers services to TTFF.
T&T Newsday Reports.
FORMER NATIONAL coach, Bertille St Clair is offering his services to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) to assist in the development of the sport.
St Clair, who coached Trinidad and Tobago to the 1991 FIFA World Youth Cup in Portugal, also lavished praise on new TTFF Technical Director Anton Corneal and endorsed his appointment.
“I hope he gets the support, Anton is a qualified coach and he is educated. He needs the support from everyone and I don’t mind making a contribution. I’m happy with the things I did in the past. I’m happy for Anton and if he wants any support I’m here to give it,” he said. Commenting on the current state of football in this country, the Tobagonian believes now is the ideal time to rebuild with the right people in charge.
“Actually we can’t go lower and right now it’s an opportunity for us to start to develop again. Sometimes you are up sometimes you are down and it’s an opportunity to get better. But we have to put the right people in charge and the right things in place,” he added
St Clair, who was in the sister isle on Wednesday to see the national Under- 23 team edge Finland 1-0 at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, congratulated the “Young Warriors” on their performance.
“I think they are growing and from what I am seeing...they have gained some confidence and I like their aggression and their touches has started to develop also,” St Clair pointed out. The ex-TT coach was also in charge of an Olympic team which featured several players who went on to have top careers for the national team including Carlos Edwards, Brent Sancho, Hector Sam, Brent Rahim, Jason Scotland, Kerwin Jemmot, Jefferson George and Derek King.
St Clair says the emphasis needs to be on developing young players if TT want to regain their prestige in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and ultimately CONCACAF.
“Now I do things for Tobago’s children and Trinidad’s children and I want to see our football develop to the highest level. Actually I’m playing my part through my coaching school. I had some offers to go to Grenada and St Kitts but I thought that I could do something for Trinidad and Tobago football.
We have a lot of talented kids in Tobago and we need to get them exposed and the Football Federation needs to focus on that. Football is all about results also,” he remarked. St Clair, who led this country to a semi-final spot at the 2000 Gold Cup - TT’s best ever finish, identified three areas which he believe are the key ingredients in being successful in the sport.
“I remember when I spent some time at Bristol Rovers and Bobby Gould was the manager. He used to say there are three As in football. The first one is ability and we have that in our football. We need a little bit more of aggression and then there’s attitude and that’s how we build our character. Those are some of the things I would like us to work on to get back to the next level,” St Clair concluded.