Messages

1

Football / Re: Sancho urges focus on 2018 campaign.

« on: November 15, 2011, 10:45:25 AM »

I thought Sancho was smarter than that.

But he fallin into de same trap.

Making World Cup finals is not the goal.

Having a sustainable development program from primary to senior level should be the goal.  Once that's in place, everything else, including World Cup Finals will fall into place.

In full agreement. We have to get off this World Cup hamster wheel and stop chasing our tails. Long term plan yes. But execute consistently on critical short term plans along the way. Start screening for an U-13, U-15 and U-17 and U-20 teams EARLY-'O'-CLOCK and have them exposed to mid-tier regional players like Haiti, El-Salvador, Jamaica within 6 months. Within a year do what is neccessary to have them ready to perform creditably against the likes of Honduras, Panama, the U.S. But Sancho was right tho. We are doomed without a pillar to post cleansing of adminsitration. This must happen wholesale before the ministry of sport even give ttff one red cent more.

I agree with the quote above in that we need have a long term, sustainable development program from primary school level to senior level.

We need to focus more and invest heavily in youth development progams. Have a look at the following link for example: http://soccertotshouston.com/soccertouch.htm?gclid=CMfT9OfVuKwCFUaMtgodIEaTZw. Systems like these for toddlers between 5 and 8 years, together with leagues for U-13 upwards (or even U-8, U-12 and upwards) would ensure the sustainability of a never ending supply of young, technically sound footballers for decades to come. Isn't this something that the TTFF (in conjuncion with the Ministry of Sports) should be able to set?

I was in Brazil in 2007 and 8 am on a Monday morning, I saw toddlers in bibs in training with a coach - albeit on a basket ball type field with a goal made between the two (2) posts, which is quite common in South American countries, but the idea is what we need to take and utilize....

Getting locally qualified coaches (UEFA B, A & Pro license for example) is another aspect to be addressed.

As another fan has quoted: "You must have better coaches who are educating themselves at the highest levels globally in order to improve the depth of the talent pool".

Proper professional coaching needs to be imparted to the youths as early as possible, so that players will benefit from a game-strategy and technical point of view...

If these things can be implemeted and we could have a proper sustainable development system of coaches and players, then qualifying for the World Cup will be a by product of these things.

2

Football / Re: Thread for the T&T vs Guyana Game (15-Nov-11).

« on: November 15, 2011, 09:52:45 AM »

Lack of responses shows how much people care;the fans have had enough but the oppurtunity to give the U23s a run would have been the best alternative.Lets hope that they can go to the Olympics and take some shame off our face.

I was one who suggested that the U 23s should play tomorrow instead of the senior team but now I have my reservations about that. Nothing the U23s accomplish tomorrow could compensate for the woeful performance of the seniors last week.. even a victory for them wouldn't validate T&T as a footballing "power". As much as I'm in favour of giving the u23s the match practice, I think the burden of trying to "make up" for the senior team's failure will have detrimental effects on them at this stage in their campaign.
Apart from the members on this forum, not many people are aware that our U23 team is engaged in olympic qualifying....they are essentially "flying under the radar" and are ,as such, unencumbered by public expectations. Allowing them to play tomorrow will push them directly into the spotlight and put unnecessary pressure on them at a time when they are just beginning to blossom. They will have their moment on stage...just not tomorrow. Let the U23's be U23's...let the youths do their thing...

The U-23s will just get beat down the same way and then what? Lose faith in another set of players?

Rubbish at some point your national team should mostly comprise of men under 25 no more maybe for some experience and leadership one or two guys late 20's or so and I could show teams like germany,italy,brazil,mexico or even the United States that started national teams with men 19 to 22 we sending ah set ah battle worn warriors with no shield and no desire to fight so the battle was already lost before it begun...

So when according to you would be a good time you see this is the reason we always a step behind excuse after excuse this is getting tiring and maddening..
 

Let me clarify.......I never said that U23 players should not be part of a senior team....I'm saying that a team designated as our  U23 team should not be playing in place of the senior team...especially at a time when the devastating failure of the senior team places undue pressure on the U23s to perform.
Citing USA , Mexico , Brazil etc etc as examples of teams that have fielded youngsters on their full national teams is unnecessary particularly since T&T also do that....how old was Hyland when he played against England in 2008?? 18,19??....Nothing is wrong with playing youngsters in your senior team alongside more seasoned players.....but fielding a team  comprised solely of unseasoned youngsters as your senior team is counterproductive.

Agreed !!....our team should mosly comprise the younger players...
The logical thing to do would be to drop everyone except the Goalie, the back four, tinto and hector and replace the rest of players with creative midfielders and strikers from the under 20 and under 23 team since they are the ones who would be in their prime in 2015 (and would be physically fit to play against players their same age), when the qualifiers start for the 2018 world cup. If according to the quote below: we have to use the same 20 players (which doesn't add up, since Birchall has been excused) - it's unfortunate, since at this point in time, we are out of the qualifications and we need to build on the future i.e the younger players.....

3

Football / Re: Jones, Birchall, Edwards back in T&T squad to face Guyana in crucial WCQ

« on: November 06, 2011, 02:15:28 PM »

Boy, ah hope they eh play stern and kenwyne together, since this is the perfect recipe for goalessness.  we seen it the in last hex and the hex before, they just don't complement each other. hope he pairs up jones with a more mobile striker.

Hope that does not happen...

We need fit mobile strikers, we need natural strikers who can convert a "one-on-one" chance with the goalie; strikers who know how to play the offside trap and who have been scoring goals lately and regularly (local or foreign based); strikers who put the ball in the net on a routine basis (clinical marksmen); strikers who have vision and can play "one-twos" among themselves and with the midfielders and thereby contribute to creative play.

Why are we not playing guys like Shahdon Winchester (young; very good creative vision and could score goals), Jerrel Britto (young natural striker who can score goals)? What about Juma Clarence (skillful, natural striker)? They are all young, fit & talented and are capable of the above. All of these players will play a much harder game, give a much better effort and have better than Chemistry, which is sorely lacking between Kenwyn & Stern (as mentioned above: they don't complement each other). Kenwyn is not a natural striker & his finishing is not clinical. How has his goal scoring performance over the past few seasons? Based on Stern's 2nd half performance (poor control, poor passing and failure to convert a "one-on-one" with the goalie) in our last game against Barbados in Trinidad, it would be better to give his spot to one of the youger guys (natural strikers) who is currently in form. He was the weak link (especially in the 2nd half) and it seems as though he still doesn't know how to play the offside trap. 

Players need to earn their spot on the team based on their recent performance in games......In terms of the future of Trinidad's football (upcoming qualifiers, Brazil 2014 and beyond), it is more worth our while to invest in a couple more of the younger talented players - they are the future. I hope Mr. Pfister sees this comment and does something about it....