I decided to take a close look at the FIFA rankings before I tried to seek some form of reasoning for our national team being in the present state of disarray. It may be fair to say that the absence of finance has almost everything to do with the predicament in which the national team finds itself.
I am at a loss to wonder why the request was not made by coach Stephen Hart to have one day per week allotted to a national team training session. This could not be a request the technical staff could refuse, despite the fact that the regular excuse has been that Pro League teams are not supportive of the idea.
I can humbly disagree with such a decision unless, of course, the league is run autonomously and not under the umbrella of the ruling body for football in the country. Modern day coaches must place their programmes on the table for ratification from the ruling body and their decision to carry out their duties must be clear both in theory and financial commitment in all aspects of what is needed to move forward. The question of involving the overseas-based players must be organisationally planned in the same way as most of the national teams across the world.
Nothing of the kind has happened and as the time drew closer towards the tournament, some impromptu matches were arranged without much thought as to what these opponents would do in order to bring our team the kind of preparation it truly need. How on good earth did we accept friendlies with Curacao, which is ranked 144th in the world, and Jordan (103rd)? Which styles are similar to the likes of Guatemala, Mexico or Cuba?
And even if the coaching staff believed they were aware of the styles of these opponents, why was it not realistic to find opponents from your leagues in T&T and elsewhere locally? Our national teams do not have the educational and tactical resources to even assess opponents, far more to plan an organised course of action to be an effective opponent. I firmly believe that the fundamental approach to game could be improved by simply playing against numerous opponents, some with instructions of the national team to improve their attacking ploys from all angles towards the goal.
They need to organise their defense in such a way that different approaches by opponents must be recognised and adjustments made. The business of midfield needs the art of ball possession and formulas to create passing lanes towards the forwards. Cohesion for success can only be improved by constant practice and on the spot correction during friendlies. Our local teams will be ideal for that process, and beneficial to the coach.
Up to this day, our national coach has admitted that some of the players in the team do not deserve to wear national colours, and while there may be merit with his statement, it remains his duty to make the necessary changes and turn the performance levels of the team around in a short space of time. It bothers me why the sport loving public of this country do not see their role in making our organization in the various disciplines perform their duties competently.
Our clandestine methods utilized for team selection have deprived many young players of having the opportunity to show their worth. I make no apologies to say that there are quite a number of talented players in the lower leagues who have shown better skills, understanding and teamsmanship, but are not eligible because they do not play in the Pro League. We bring players home without knowing the form or even normal ability which they possess.
Please do not take my remarks to be anything else but a way to assist in the process of taking a more organised approach to success for our national teams. My love for the sport and for my country tends to lead me to this form of assistance. Some of us have the experience following our own careers and it will be nice if the ruling body attempt to go in search of help in this regard.
We urgently need a meteoric rise towards a better football programme. As I view the names of the players chosen for the Gold Cup, it was clear that the preference by coach Stephen to invest in the foreign based players can be viewed in two ways. He may well be convinced that the locally based players are not yet familiar with the type of commitment and dedication needed to play this level of the game, a factor which may have some merit attached.
However, it is necessary to compare the players within a collective process, favourably in a setting where match play among themselves in an intense and realistic environment must be emphasised so that players will understand that their selection or omission will be based upon their performances during that period.
Surely, some players have demonstrated the talent and commitment to wearing the national shirt with pride seen through their efforts in tense situations. With nearly 20 days for their match against Guatemala, we should get a good look at some realistic action among the team. I assume that the coaching staff will have held some video tapes of their three opponents and implement some tactical formula in order to give themselves an advantage. I shall keep an eye on the training sessions in order to assess the probable performance levels of our team.