The T&T Football Association (TTFA) on December 7, announced a new football coach in Tom Saintfiet, and it is not the “Big name coach” that many expected, with loads of results on a long resume, but rather a somewhat young sports psychologist with lots of ambition and desire, and for whom discipline seems to be a priority.
And this has clearly upset several of the leading football experts in the country who believe that his lack of experience and his previous work, do not suggest he is the “right man” for the moment. Whether that is true or not, can only be determined in the future by the results that will be recorded.
For the moment, we have to all be supportive of this coach, that is, if we are all desirous of T&T making it to the Russia 2018. Because it is clear that unless we operate as a team - fans, players, business, etc- with a clear focus and united front, this will not be achieved. We need to find a way to forget about the questions.
The new coach needs our support and guidance to ensure that our team can gain the best result possible in the upcoming matches so it can grow in confidence ahead of the two crucial World Cup matches in March.
The news that there will be an opportunity for Saintfiet to watch and learn more about the players when the Soca Warriors play two matches against Nicaragua, has to be good news. The only question being, will all the players be available, as it is Christmas season and some of them will be on holidays and many of them get caught up in the festivities.
What is also important now is that several of the young players in T&T understand how important it is to continue their personal development if they’re to be selected. This incentive should hopefully assist young players to go that extra mile to ensure they are match fit and ready if called upon.
Everyone, but in particular the last coach Stephen Hart, has experienced the pain of his players not performing as they should and not committed many expected and for that Hart has paid the ultimate price - being dismissed because of the team’s poor results in its first two World Cup Qualifiers.
In the next few months, this country will be able to understand fully the mentality of the players selected for national duty and whether they understand their respective roles and responsibilities as against that of just making up numbers. This should not be about playing for Tom Saintfiet but instead it must be about representing T&T with love and pride with the understanding that all of the country is behind them. There are many times, when a country needs a lift from all the gloom and doom, and the many loads of negativity that prevail and in sports, this is one of the ways of returning smiles to the faces of citizens of T&T, as everyone will follow the team’s progress.
In January, there are two important fixtures for Gold Cup 2017 qualification as well, and this will be further opportunities to measure the team’s progress and in what direction T&T is heading before the two critical matches in March arrives.
Panama on March 24 and Mexico four days later, are two home matches that T&T must earn maximum points in the end, and we need to be prepared to change the starting times for both matches in favour of our team, and therefore let us hope that the TTFA will recognise the need to do very quickly and ensure that a favourable kick-off time for team T&T, is secured.
In the meantime, let us stand behind and support our coach in the coming months, after all he is working for us and trying to qualify T&T for its second World Cup.