Alvin Corneal – Time for Change.
By: Hannibal Najjar.[/size]
Below are some thoughts on Alvin Corneal’s take on the match that we lost to Bermuda on Sunday June 15th, 2008, and on his overall role in T&T‘s Football!
In the end, I am suggesting that Alvin seeks to recluse himself from all direct involvement in football in T&T altogether.
My Predictions for this T&T Football Team as it now Exists
Before I go into presenting a few bits of food for thought, I want to make the prediction that, despite my feeling that this T&T team is not a 2010 contender, we will overcome the prevailing obstacle in the territorially treacherous triangle (I guess, Bermuda’s, ttt), that Bermuda belongs to. Despite Alvin Corneal’s statement that this is the best T&T team that he has seen for a long time, an insipid and incongruent statement altogether, this team, if kept as is, will be scrambling for air, game after game, at the next round of Qualification play, after bypassing Bermuda. This team, at best, is a team for 2014!
Alvin Corneal’s Comments and Advice
In the Arena section of the Trinidad Guardian, on Wednesday June 18th, Alvin Corneal released an analysis of our June 15th encounter against Bermuda, fought at the Marvin Lee Stadium. In his release he supplied counsel to the entire team with a remedy and set recommendations for survival and qualification to South Africa. Both, the analysis and the recommendations are still keeping me awake, taunting, days after my return to Missouri. Why is he allowed to occupy so much time addressing the nation when his comments resonate with so many contradictions and incongruent statements. It is clear to me that, his continued association with football, at the desk level, have not been sufficient to keep his thoughts congruent and, accurate. He is clearly not fit anymore to command the time, space, and attention of forward-thinking people – Alvin Corneal belongs to the past, especially with regards to inspiring, advising, developing the young talents, and the whole person.
My candid assessment is that, Alvin is not embracing the true truths of global football as they have emerged today, this despite his FIFA desk work. As well, he has not sincerely submerged himself into the true psyche of our youth as they operate today. His calculations have a sense of distance from these two important operatives, and also, a kind of archive perspective altogether.
Furthermore, what I am about to say, in one sense troubles me, and yet in another, it has become necessary. Just like so many direct aides and close government officials have withdrawn their allegiances from the Clintons in this recently concluded Democratic campaign, and thenceforth, endorsing Obama, I have to slip away from my childhood admiration for Alvin, while as my coach through several years with St. Mary’s College and Maple. I have known Alvin for many years and there is a special liking that I have for him, save and except that he is an October 13th born, and I, October 15th, and that he and I have known each other for a period longer than most of his children, including Anton, have been alive. The truth is, Alvin cuddles his family and friends more than he cares to cuddle the truth and that which is right. He exhibits tremendous loyalty to those close to him, but can turn on a dime if it suits him. I am 54 years old and I am known to be somewhat outspoken, and I have withheld my thoughts over the years while I gather greater knowledge and wisdom, truth, and accuracy about my feelings of Alvin’s future place in our football development. Now, despite my admiration for him as a cricketer, footballer (I watched many a game), coach, father, and friend, I have chosen to voice my feelings because the wheel keeps spinning the same way.
Reaction to Alvin’s Analysis and Recommendations
Basically, Alvin excused the players and team for the disastrous performance and failed result. He used his, and Sedley Joseph’s 41-year old experience in Winnipeg, Canada, at the Pan Am Games, to justify that such performances and losses, as ours against Bermuda was understandable, this, even when on home soil. Speaking out, he scolded the supporters for having “too much penchant for victory” and subtly suggested that the crowd should not be “criticizing the team’s failings, and levying personal attacks on players and coaches, most of which are reactionary and often attempts to hurt the feelings of the team”. Has Alvin Corneal found a new heart? No one has ever escaped his ridicule, cynicism, and judgment, even when performances and results are much better than what Maturana and Anton Corneal’s men displayed on June 15th.
Next, Alvin Corneal went on to insist that the entire team should follow a four-prong rehabilitation package that he outlined in his game summary. This package included, increasing “commitment, genuine sacrifice, the process of preparation, and psychological gauging and advantage seeking” (he gave greater details about these). Strangely, I see this as an oxymoronic proposition.
In fact, Alvin’s entire plea for reprieve of the national team and staff, is an indictment on the entire team and staff itself. He even went further to advise that the team could achieve all that he propositioned, within the one week between games. Ironically, Anton has been a continuous partner of this team, dating back some four years, to Leo Beenhakker and our Germany 2006 run, and thereafter, he went to and through the U-17 Youth World Cup in Korea. Now, he is in the arms of the Columbian and the Maturana “cartel” that has seen two World Cups himself. In addition, Anton has also been around a long time before Beenakkher, and certainly not without his father’s counsel, so how come this is the new-found revelation and recipe for improving our performance and ensuring victory, all within one week?
“Dunga-ried” Brasil and Change
As motivational speaker, Steven Covey, would say, effective leaders know when the fit between them and the situation is not a good or functional one - they climb the tree-top, survey the situation, and when they see the truth, they would shout, “Wrong Jungle”. However, I would contend that, when the jungle is agitated by the situation and its leader, the jungle would then shout, “Wrong Tarzan” signifying, a need for a change in T&T’s team leadership.
I do not believe however that the current staff is not capable for better things, it is just that they are not positioning themselves for a qualification bid in Mandela’s homestead. I say, keep this effort going in some secondary sense, and we will certainly be making a serious impact in CONCACAF for the next six years and beyond. “Wrong Tarzan” is the call for this 2010 effort! This is my spurt. Need any further convincing? Look at the situation with Brasil and the “Dunga-ried” squad where they are showing less than acceptable results. My contention is that Brasil is playing less finesse-type and more rugged, Dunga-like football throughout their play, and as a consequence, Dunga’s “neck” is being sought, following their last three paltry performances - a marginal and rather fortunate 3-2 victory over Canada, and two mesmerizing 0-2 losses to Venezuela in a friendly, and more recently, to front-running, CONMEBOL’s Paraguay in their qualifying group play. Most recently, they tied with world’s #1.
What have we to show, besides two ties with struggling Jamaica, a scrambling 2-0 win against Barbados, and a sickly performance that resulted in a 1-2 loss to upstart Bermuda? Barbados were just mauled by the US 8-0, while Grenada beat Jamaica 2-1, then they went on to tied and lose to Costa Rica 2-2 and lost 0-3, at home and away respectively, in their WC Qualifiers.
The truth is, Alvin has called for many a neck even when other coaches hadn’t even incurred a loss, or may have, but in more understandable situations. Nothing here Alvin? Personally, I can and have easily embraced Anton, as he is definitely one of the better personalities around. He possesses a sense of order, has kept pace with the game, attended courses, and clearly is garnering invaluable experience. But, the Alvin-Anton slate? Please! This is just as, the head-holding, Hillary-Bill slate, and who wants that!
Passing the Baton
The future and its occupants can stand on their own, and it is good for them to find their way, with some assistance from you and us, of course, the past and present. Alvin, I accuse you of standing in the way of progress, and it is a huge and ludicrous sin for us to sit in the way of the youth, as if nothing can be achieved without your direct and constant intrusions and involvement. Pass the baton Mr. Corneal; pass it over entirely to your son Anton and to others. Do not hold on to the baton, clenched tightly, you and you’re the few pre-sixties “ghosts”, for the race will never be completed, and more precisely, we will, run dead last every time.
Our football is not better because of you Alvin, and maybe, in many real senses, it is worse. Learn the Bill Clinton lesson of the just-concluded Democratic campaign. Let self go, and adopt the path of the Kennedy family – they knew when to let go and give their support to new blood.
Side-notes
1. Jack Hunts Gary[/b]
Nice move Jack, turning the public on the Government, by unleashing them on a “Hunt” for the Minister, Gary. This is one subtle, politically-savvy way to ensure that our home games stay home, and not be, NAFTA-ed away. You seem set to win this immediate battle as you Hunt down Gary with you “sooking” de public dog on him. There seems to be one thing that you left out, and for which the general public may know little about, and that is, the T&T Government can declare the T&TFF Football Team ineligible, almost in the same way, as you have many times in the past declared Alvin Corneal, persona non grata. By so doing, the government can bar further involvement of the team without infringing any of FIFA “outlaw” acts.
2. Jack’s Legacy
By the way Mr. Warner, I have one question of you – what is the legacy that you are anticipating leaving behind, when you are gone? Who is your planned successor? Who is your groom? What is the script for football? You know that no one can replace you in the conglomerate way that you have become, are - business magnate, MP for Chaguanas, UNC Big Wig, Owner of Joe Public, Vice President of FIFA, President of CONCACAF, President of CFU, Special Advisor of T&TT, and ??. You own every building, office, and equipment that T&TFF functions with. You pay everyone’s salary. You own football in T&T; you are the sole proprietor.
So what are we left with when you are gone…wherever? Younger Warner for Joe Public and all of your building and business affairs? Who, for the multitude of others? Who and what for football? You won’t be around forever? Your legacy will be based on this Jack! We will fall back “umpteen” years before we are restored to even half of the status that we currently enjoy. I do believe however, that freedom to fail, crawl, and get back on one’s feet, is the freedom to succeed, and succeed we will. Lesser nations are doing more with much less.
3. Scolari’s makes “Big” Portuguese Blunder
Why couldn’t “Big” Phil Scolari wait until EURO 2008 was completed? Didn’t he believe that he would have sent a destabilizing signal to the Portuguese team - one of betrayal? Surely, not only were the players responding to him in this EURO 2008, they obviously would also be blending even more as they set their sights on South Africa 2010. Scolari blundered miserably with his untimely decision to openly accept Chelsea’s and Abramovic’s offer to be at the helm. He missed out on a legitimate chance to go out as an achieving Portuguese coach. I go further to that Scolari will be replaced very early is his time with the Frank Lampard and John Terry engineered team. He will not successfully impact the Russian Tycoon’s outfit in the English Premier League.
4. Outrageous Referring in EURO’s
FIFA should really do something about the game that they run. I have a great deal respect for the depth of consideration that FIFA has given the game and its evolutionary development over he last two decades. However, I believe that the game has gotten too sophisticated, high speed, and mesmerisingly suspenseful, for FIFA to be adding more delicate components to the referees’ slate of duties without the provision of some additional assistance.
The yellow card situation, in the EURO’s 2008 is, horrendous! With the technological applications that we see taking place in the game today, thanks to my insertion of Ref-Aid to Jack and FIFA back in the 90‘s (which I never heard of thereafter, c’est la vie) a separate off-the-field official(s) could work in conjunction with the referee to make regularly correct calls. By that I mean, referees are failing to make accurate calls, both ways - in the yellow card situation, sometimes no cards are needed, and sometimes, they are. Also, I believe, if only by virtue of human nature, referees get emotionally involved in a game, and with the players, and this skews their judgement, which impacts the result of the game, and future games’ planning.
I suggest either, that FIFA consider including another official in a specially designed and elevated box, to assist with calls via the aid of the voice-activated, Ref-Aid technology that is in play today - help the referees to help the game, the players, the spectators, and all else. Also, maybe FIFA can include another pair of linesmen, one each alongside both goals, to help make correct calls from that vantage point. And, just as the referee consults with the two sideline officials, he can with these as well.
