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Offline palos

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Lincoln Phillips has his say
« on: June 03, 2006, 11:16:22 PM »
Football is all Q & A.
With: BC Pires (Trinidad Express).
[/color]

Former national goalkeeper and current TTFA technical director Lincoln Phillips talks about the only thing the country will care about for the next three weeks.

Q: So what will happen against Sweden on Saturday?

A: Well, a football game is so unpredictable [chuckles]. The strong does not always win the battle. When Greece, Denmark won the European Cup, nobody gave them a chance. The football is not like it was 15 years ago, where there was a large gap. A lot of countries are hiring European coaches, South American coaches, so the gap has closed considerably. I will not make predictions-I've been in the game too long-but we have to acknowledge that teams like Sweden are better teams than ours.

Sweden knows England has not beaten them in 30 years. Their whole idea is to make sure England does not beat them. They will beat Paraguay, beat Trinidad and be in. Paraguay wants to make sure they get a result against England and beat Trinidad. everybody is looking at Trinidad as [three points] in the bag-[chuckles] that could work to our advantage. I have [coached] teams where we were infinitely better than the other team and, try as I might to psych the guys up not to get over-confident [whistles], they go out there and put in a half-tackle and just don't think and, next thing you know, a ball is in the back of the net and it's a different ball game.

We have players who can score, given the chance: Stern John - throws away a lot of goals-but he will score; Birchall will swipe from outside the area; Dwight can get up there-Jones can score. We have the ability to get a goal. If we do - or, the longer it takes for Sweden to get a goal on us, they're in trouble.

Q: So nil-nil at halftime on Saturday is a dream start?

A: [Whistles loudly, then whispers] Big thing! [Normal voice] Because they have to get a result against us. This is not the Sweden of four or five years ago. They're not as good, though still a very good team. Tactically, they're strong, they're well put together but we are a better unit, not necessarily personnel, individually, but we have good leadership, better organisation.

That Sweden game is crucial. We just gotta hang in there, hang in there, hang in there. And I think we can! I'm not talking about beating Sweden, I'm talking about getting a result: a tie; a win is just out of this world. It is doable, but very difficult.

Q: Leapfrog England to Paraguay-same lie of the land?

A: If there's a chance of us beating any team, it is Paraguay. We don't like to play against South American teams: they play a 5-5-5 system [laughs]-wherever the ball is, you find five men [even if] they might be playing with nine or ten men. We don't like that. We can more play against England and the Swedes who don't have that short-passing style. Paraguay have had a world class goalkeeper in Schilbert.

Defensively, he organised everything, which helped them to move forward, and he is not there. That is a big subtraction.

Q: What do we have to do to beat them?

A: They like to play the ball around -do not get stretched out. Whenever we get the ball, we must get into airplane shape: nose; tail; wings; whenever we lose it, we must do like an accordion: close in, north to south, east to west. We have to play compact; just can't afford to have one forward pressurising and the half-backs all the way back. If we're pressurising in, then we must come up; if we're not, we must come back to the centre of the field and mount our defense: all our players in our half of the field.

Cut off space, like a good boxer, so their passes are not as potent.

That's what I did when I came in as a goalkeeper in '63. Prior to that, anytime an English or South American team came down, they'd beat us ten and 11-nil. I would have everybody block in front the goal and that kept us in the game. If we do that well against Paraguay, we can get a result.

Q: To get to Paraguay, we have to play the best England team in decades?

A: With Rooney out and Owen not at his top, they're not the best. With them in, England were kind of assured of winning the World Cup. Those guys were young, fast. You put a lot of people to mark them and they have two rottweillers behind them, Lampard and Gerrard, just [laughing] scoring goals at will. To have that foursome coming at you! And defensively, England have always been strong. Even without Rooney and Owen, they are very, very strong.

Q: All patriotism aside, what can we realistically do against England?

A: England, to me, are not that clever, like South American teams, who can destroy you with short passing. They come at you, they counter-attack quickly, they're tactically very strong, good in the air so they'll go over the top. They have very good chances of scoring. But the bulk of all our defenders have played in England and can jump and bang. It is one of our strong areas- whether it will be strong enough, I don't know.

But we have played that kind of football before. We can battle there. Shaka in goal has done very well. I can't tell you what Beenhakker will do there because he is very loyal to his players and Jack has got us so far-what will happen in the [warm-up friendly international] games will tell you how he chooses goalkeeper.

Just like Sweden, we got to keep them off the board. We must have outstanding performances from our goalkeeper, who must play the game of his life. When they get through and make that shot, he must make the save. When they're supposed to be three-up, he'll have to make sure they're nothing-up. Our defenders must not get caught with the ball. We cannot give the ball away in the defensive [or] middle-third of the field! We'll get punished! Beenhakker has been working a lot [on that].

Q: Does Latapy have the legs to play against England?

A: No. Fifteen minutes; 20 at most.

Q: Can we afford him on for such short stints?

A: Yeah! He's an arrogant little fellow, you know. [Laughs] He would come and take the ball in the midst of big giants. He says, "You can't touch this ball". In one of the games -Mexico or Guatemala-he made the guy kick it back out for a corner three times. That is the kind of arrogance and street smartness he can interject into a game that can boost it. And players like him and there's no substitute for that. When people like you, they work for you. He has his role to play.

Q: Are we lucky to have Rooney out?

A: Well [three-second pause, then laugh] yes! He's an amazing player and he's only 17! [Chuckles] He's fast, he's everything. He would give all defences a lot of trouble. And Owen can't be at his best. So, fortunately for us, who are they going to start on top? They might think about Lampard but that's screwing up the team. Might work in a preliminary game but you come to the World Cup and, all of a sudden, it ain't working so good. And, boom! We get a goal! Or, 30 minutes, and no goal and England's having trouble. Even with Rooney out, they're still a formidable team. Lampard and Gerrard - oh, lethal! They're prolific goal scorers from behind.

Q: How important has Beenhakker been?

A: He has given us direction. He respects the players. I don't want to say anything to put down Bertille [St Clair] in any way. We started two years too late, the football was in disarray, nobody cared about coming back.

When Bertille was hired, everyone felt, well, yes, you all are putting things right. Hislop and them said, okay, we're coming back to play for the old man-they like him and respect him. Nobody could have done that but him. We never had a consistent eleven [before him]. When we played St Vincent and St Kitts, we had no right beating them. We played poorly but, always in the dressing-room, he was there saying, "We're going to the World Cup" and he had that in players' minds always, regardless. It might sound silly but that seed was planted there and you got to give him credit for that. It reached a point where he had to hand over the baton and it came just in time. He is not a fool: he knew. I mean, half his clothes were packed back in Tobago. He didn't have a problem with it.

The problem he had is, when we fire people, we try to make them look back. In my reign, if we release people, I'm going to make sure we do it in a proper manner.
« Last Edit: June 04, 2006, 07:39:20 AM by Flex »
Carlos "The Rolls Royce" Edwards

Offline rippin

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Re: Lincoln Phillips has his say
« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2006, 12:27:29 AM »
Nice interview. The TD definitlely has vision and understanding. Hopefully he can get the financial backing to go with this vision. WC 2010 here we come!
Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration. (Thomas A. Edison )

Offline elan

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Re: Lincoln Phillips has his say
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2006, 12:43:53 PM »
Man dude ain't say nothing here. Just talking like a fan.

Quote
A: They like to play the ball around -do not get stretched out. Whenever we get the ball, we must get into airplane shape: nose; tail; wings; whenever we lose it, we must do like an accordion: close in, north to south, east to west. We have to play compact; just can't afford to have one forward pressurising and the half-backs all the way back. If we're pressurising in, then we must come up; if we're not, we must come back to the centre of the field and mount our defense: all our players in our half of the field.


Thats how US youth soccer coaches talk to their team so they could have an idea how to play the game. 
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/blUSVALW_Z4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/blUSVALW_Z4</a>

Offline real madness

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Re: Lincoln Phillips has his say
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2006, 01:16:33 PM »
Q: Does Latapy have the legs to play against England?

A: No. Fifteen minutes; 20 at most.



Very true...despite how much we like Latas and the natural talent he has..Latas just cant start.

Offline tempo

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Re: Lincoln Phillips has his say
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2006, 03:34:56 PM »
Man dude ain't say nothing here. Just talking like a fan.

Quote
A: They like to play the ball around -do not get stretched out. Whenever we get the ball, we must get into airplane shape: nose; tail; wings; whenever we lose it, we must do like an accordion: close in, north to south, east to west. We have to play compact; just can't afford to have one forward pressurising and the half-backs all the way back. If we're pressurising in, then we must come up; if we're not, we must come back to the centre of the field and mount our defense: all our players in our half of the field.


Thats how US youth soccer coaches talk to their team so they could have an idea how to play the game. 
I'm not sure if Pires is a football man so the TD jus talking to him in very simple terms and metaphors. Notice he doesn't get so basic in the interviews with Flex and others who understand the game. 

Offline Rastaman

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Re: Lincoln Phillips has his say
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2006, 05:20:12 PM »
Man dude ain't say nothing here. Just talking like a fan.

Quote
A: They like to play the ball around -do not get stretched out. Whenever we get the ball, we must get into airplane shape: nose; tail; wings; whenever we lose it, we must do like an accordion: close in, north to south, east to west. We have to play compact; just can't afford to have one forward pressurising and the half-backs all the way back. If we're pressurising in, then we must come up; if we're not, we must come back to the centre of the field and mount our defense: all our players in our half of the field.


Thats how US youth soccer coaches talk to their team so they could have an idea how to play the game

Yes but who taught them that??....and how far has it got US Soccer??..Our players were not told this when they were youths so that is why it has to be said now..!!!!

Offline Trini

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Re: Lincoln Phillips has his say
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2006, 06:43:44 PM »
Nice interview.
Man talking real sense.
He is the TD or wha?

Offline trinidad badboy

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Re: Lincoln Phillips has his say
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2006, 08:21:55 PM »


nice interview. what is he now havent seen him around in the looong time..

Offline tempo

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Re: Lincoln Phillips has his say
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2006, 08:30:14 PM »
Yeah he's still TD. while everyone focused on the world cup he is shaping things up for 2010 and for all of the national teams. Expect to hear about some big changes after the cup.

 

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