Make Yorke and ‘Latas’ TT coaches.
By: Zaid Mohammed (Newsday).
Show promoter and former national cricketer Randy Glasgow has suggested that Dwight Yorke should be offered the position as coach of the Soca Warriors as they seek qualification for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
Glasgow also urged that Russell Latapy, nicknamed the “Little Magician” should also be recruited as Yorke’s assistant and that the decisions be made urgently in the interest of the Soca Warriors.
He made the call in the wake of the six-month suspension handed to regular coach Wim Rijsbergen from December 4 but only made public on Friday and will rule the Dutchman out of the beginning of the team’s World Cup Campaign on Ash Wednesday (February 6).
Glasgow, a former sports reporter said that Yorke and Latapy are the only persons who can get the country to rally around the Soca Warriors in a way to take them to a second successive Finals.
And he has warned against the selection of another foreign coach whom he said would not have a significant improvement in the fortunes of the team. He said the chances of finding another Leo Beenhakker, whom he described as “lucky” was extremely slim and that it would take something extraordinary to ensure the trip to South Africa.
Glasgow said Football Federation Special Advisor Jack Warner should resist the temptation to out-do the million-dollar contract recently signed by Rene Simoes to coach the Reggae Boyz. Glasgow said Yorke, triple crowned winner at Manchester United and Latapy, now player-coach at Falkirk in Scotland possess the right credentials to successfully undertake the task at hand. “Yorke has had great experience playing in Europe and Australia and has always showed an interest in coaching. And we all know that Latapy has the makings of a top class coach,” said Glasgow.
He said that the duo would immediately command the repect and co-operation from the players and their presence in the Soca Warriors camp will also greatly boost team unity.
Glasgow said only two persons of the stature of Yorke and Latapy can rekindle the patriotic flames last witnessed when the team qualified for Germany in 2005.
“The mere presence of Yorke and Latapy at the helm of the Soca Warriors will attract sell-out crowds at the stadium. And the money paid to some foreigner could go to two nationals in the process,” said Glasgow. He said that in the long run millions of taxpayers’ money will be spent in the payment of salaries of the national coaching staff and he believes that the Football Federation should throw their support behind the Yorke/Latapy tandem. “In any event, shopping around for a good foreign football coach will not land anyone who is not protecting their record. The bigger coaches will shy away from coaching a team like Trinidad and Tobago and we could end up with mediocre coaching talent,” said Glasgow. He said Yorke is almost at the end of his international career currently playing intermittently for Sunderland and would relish the opportunity to take his home team into the World Cup Finals which he last did as captain last year.
He said both Yorke and Latapy will be inspired to make history with the Trinidad and Tobago once given the chance and the Football Federation should seriously consider making the double offer.
“Qualifying for South Africa in 2010 will require a massive national effort on and off the field and we can start the long journey with doing what is right from the beginning. It is a good plan that can realise success,” said Glasgow.
Trinidad and Tobago are expected to have their best team for the qualifying quest including several stars playing overseas after the settlement of a row over World Cup sponsorship money recently between the players and the Football Federation.
Trinidad and Tobago play their first match in mid-June against the winner of the Bermuda/Cayman islands qualifier but go into action against Guatemala in a friendly on Ash Wednesday (February 6) at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain.
Among the players expected to boost the team’s chances in the CONCACAF Zone play-offs are Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones, and midfielder Carlos Edwards; UK-born Chris Birchall, Southampton forward Stern John, Toronto FC’s Collin Samuel, and Swansea City’s Jason Scotland. The back line will most likely be eyed by Keyeno Thomas and Seon Power, both of Joe Public, San Juan Jabloteh’s Ian Gray.
