Maturana takes up senior coaching job.

[WestCoast]

Reason number 4: They'll promote Anton if he goes.

[asylumseeker]

Reason number 4: They'll promote Anton if he goes.

If one head rolls, both should roll. Fuh sure! ... "should"

[assrancid]

Yes the first two goals came of plays that had been hand balls  But the fact remains we played shit, and the midfield had no idea what was going on, the defence was as leaky as Ollie Camps boomsie, and the coaching tavctics were non existent.

Imagine we in need of goals and the man allowed us to play with one forward whole game.

[Ngozi]

since man putting up de opposite I go post dis ...it have plenty facts I eh seeing coming out ...the first two US goals had hand balls before de player scored all yuh din see dat ? what could Maturana do about dat ? how is he to be blamed for dat. A goal changes everything in a football game ..you chasing de game from dere on in ...yuh game plan etc. affected ...man walk on glen when he was on de ground and eh get nuttin for at ...all yuh eh see dat neither. the players  fraid to tackle because de refereeing was jokey ..all yuh eh see man raising dey han and ting becase dey fraid to give away free kick and penalties.
If was a european referee he wasn't missing all dem ting ... Now what allyuh want from maturana
first dey criticize him because he kyah speak de language but all yuh same peole say ...de team playing some nice knock now (against Cuba and guatemala ) instead ah dem long ball we was playing !
I tink man go criticise de coach because he spoting ah Afro in dese times ..way ahhyuh want ?
 

This is your argument?.................................................................................... umm welll ......fire his ass and fire you too ....!

[andre samuel]

We cant fire Maturana now........we have to rally with him.  I dont agree with his selections but at this stage, too much has been invested in him for someone else to take over the team now.

The time to fire him was after the Bermuda game.  So allyuh honestly think that if he wasnt fired when we lost to Bermuda at home, they would fire him now when we lost to the USA away?

Yes i know that we want to be playing better, but now is too late.

Good luck to the warriors!!

ah love it!!

[Dinner Mints]

We cant fire Maturana now........we have to rally with him.  I dont agree with his selections but at this stage, too much has been invested in him for someone else to take over the team now.

The time to fire him was after the Bermuda game.  So allyuh honestly think that if he wasnt fired when we lost to Bermuda at home, they would fire him now when we lost to the USA away?

Yes i know that we want to be playing better, but now is too late.

Good luck to the warriors!!

ah love it!!

All kicks aside, I agree wit this. I wouldn't vex if they fire him now, but I doh know what purpose it would serve at this point.

[assrancid]

So if you go to a dentist and you ask him to pull a tooth that is hurting you, and he says to you.."nah' let me numb it up." "I not pulling out that tooth at all."  And you allow him to numb it up, the pain leaves for a while and then it comes back.

You will not go to another dentist to have your tooth extracted because yuh having a dinner party next week?

Fire his ass now!

[samo]

Well Jai, I looking all over your post for a smiley, but could not find it, but still assuming you joking...
A true professional would not let a bad call that results in a goal let it affect him from minute 10 in a 90 minute game. That being said. How do you find the team played last night? Which other games have you seen T&T play under Maturana?
Answer those questions and den we could talk.

[Coop's]

since man putting up de opposite I go post dis ...it have plenty facts I eh seeing coming out ...the first two US goals had hand balls before de player scored all yuh din see dat ? what could Maturana do about dat ? how is he to be blamed for dat. A goal changes everything in a football game ..you chasing de game from dere on in ...yuh game plan etc. affected ...man walk on glen when he was on de ground and eh get nuttin for at ...all yuh eh see dat neither. the players  fraid to tackle because de refereeing was jokey ..all yuh eh see man raising dey han and ting becase dey fraid to give away free kick and penalties.
If was a european referee he wasn't missing all dem ting ... Now what allyuh want from maturana
first dey criticize him because he kyah speak de language but all yuh same peole say ...de team playing some nice knock now (against Cuba and guatemala ) instead ah dem long ball we was playing !
I tink man go criticise de coach because he spoting ah Afro in dese times ..way ahhyuh want ?
 

You seriously blaming de referee for that loss yestersay?  That is de poorest excuse I've heard so far.

Like I have to read and spell for you ..... no matter how you prepare for an event a single little thing can throw you ....if you never play sports ask someone nah !!! ask Ato, lara, Ames, Crawford ,,it does not matter the sport. I eh blaming de referee for how we play I blaming de referee for allowing or not seeing these little things that can change a game. How you go feel if you playing drafts and a man at the side ah de board move ah piece and noone else eh see and de play stands ? de team was poor because de opposition was superior ! You play as well as your opponent allows you to play ! we have lots of work to do but we have to crawl before we can walk ! The USA was playing Argentina in friendlies ..you think we could get ah friendly against dem ? doh try to make dis look like I blaming ah referee for how men was mistrapping and giving away the ball, Senior professionals on the team included, but you cant blame the coach for dat.If de coach did leave out carlos yuh woulda hear talk but did you see how many times carlos gave away de ball to de opponents or how Glen, who men say play good, was clueless in his position? If I was de coach i woulda let all dem things happen because dis is ah learning experience and we have to finish ahead of cuba and guatemala at this point. When Sorillo beat bolt at the olympics man eh call for bolt's head...because dey know bolt had a plan ...give de coach some credit nah...after all he has more experience dan you or I have right ?
i woulda use dis tape to motivate de players to beat Guatemala and cuba and get us to the next round ....we have seen them play better and I believe with this coach dey can. problem is the chicken and chips mentality hard to break.Let me simplify dis again before man get me wrong ..when you have a start up industry you give it protection before it can survive on its own ..if not it cannot compete with the already established operators ...well in this case the USA is the established operator 5 World cups straight ...you tell me what we should do here

        Well spoken!!!!!

[samo]

Coops. sometimes your logic just illogical.

[jai john]

Well Jai, I looking all over your post for a smiley, but could not find it, but still assuming you joking...
A true professional would not let a bad call that results in a goal let it affect him from minute 10 in a 90 minute game. That being said. How do you find the team played last night? Which other games have you seen T&T play under Maturana?
Answer those questions and den we could talk.

[b]A true professional would not let a bad call that results in a goal let it affect him from minute 10 in a 90 minute game.[/b]
>>boy if this is how you start your rebutt then we far away from reaching any accord . If I had the time I would list some true professionals who would disagree with you by their statements about how they were affected by " bad calls " .
I dont however have the time now ...not if ah want to keep meh wuk ....
I thought I expained how I thought the team played already ..go and read the ting properly nah ...
I have seen the games against Guadeloupe, Usa, cuba, guatemala and some hightlights of some friendlies ...how does this help you ?
Give me an alternative to my suggestion ...it easy to criticise especially from an armchair ... make a suggestion if you disagree ... I am sure if you were the CEO of Repsol or BP you would not just say fire a manager , if you had not thought of who was going to do the job you wanted You want to upset the apple cart in mid stream ..you must have a plan !

[fishs]

  Jai John bestest post since we start this 2010 run.

 People in here blaming the coach for this loss and calling for his head, lol
 They know nothing about football or they get tied up with us qualifying for Germany.
Folks we qualify for Germany by beating Bahrain to get the 1/2 spot.
Trinidad and Tobago football owe a whole lot to that half spot.

But back to the business at hand , we lose to the US ....... HOW EARTH COULD SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN WHEN WE HAD A TEAM THAT ARE WORLD BEATERS !!!!

Now reality
USA is a team that make this country cry we own backyard.
Losing to USA is no dishonor, but yuh know what we beat Cuba and we play great ball against Guatemala so expectations high against the US.
We getting on as if we out of the thing, we have to play Cuba at home , we have to play USA at home and of course Guatemala away.
This thing far from if we don't make it we don't make it but this BS that coming from allyuh , one day is love next day is hate ( apart from the WIMP lover , the 69yrold who most of the time nobody could understand the shyte she writing)

Allyuh who calling for the man head should stand up in the middle of IKE and keep spinning.

[Filho]

Firing Maturana at this stage is a recipe for disaster. A new coach now? He will have no time to implement his ideas prior to a huge away game against Guateh. Sorry, but change at the wrong time will hurt the side.

Also, not that this is an excuse or change the fact that we deserved a stiff cutarse, but

1) Ching was clearly offside on the first goal

2) you didn't need no replay to see Onyewu clearly handled the ball in the leadup to the 2nd goal.

But like I say, that cutass was coming in some form or fashion. Just doh agree them 2 goals should have stood.

On to the next match.

[samo]

I am sure if you were the CEO of Repsol or BP you would not just say fire a manager , if you had not thought of who was going to do the job you wanted  You want to upset the apple cart in mid stream ..you must have a plan !

It would depend on the situation... If the manager thiefing, you will keep looking until you find a replacement to fill his shoes? This is not just about last night we have not played well under Mats and as someome else said he should have been made to walk after the Bermuda fiasco.
If you have a manager that is a detriment to your company would you keep him? I personally cannot see any coach coming in now and doing a worse job of not just coaching but player selection and tactics and subbing.
Sometimes subbing does work for you and you look like a hero and sometimes it fail and you look stupid, that is part of the game.But I am yet to see an international coach who back against the wall and make 1 sub when they have more capable players on de bench. If he had bring on Lawrence and Lawrence fail, ah could deal with that, but you cannot be happy with the display last night or  many of the others under Pacho.
As for the bad call against us affecting them for the whole game?? Then the pros you know should not be considered tru professionals. (also you should compare a bad call in 1 sport with another)
If Ato in a 100m race and they have 2 false starts I expect it will affect him and he has less than 10 secs to correct it. A football game is 90 + minutes. Iunderstand what you saying but respectively disagree.

[KND2]

offside was questionable because the argument is did he interfere with the play and that can be argued all day

Hand ball was unintentional so again hand ball or ball to hand can be argued all day.

The goals really score because we cannot mark properly either from dead ball or field of play.

I balme the coach for not working on set plays defensively men getting beat to the spot consistiently
3 out of the last 4 goals we conceed was the same basic mistake

[Baygo Boy]

We like how the team play against El Salvador, Cuba and Guatemala for the most part, but want to fire de coach after USA beat we.

So let's say we don't make the Hex - I expect that Pacho will be fired then, then what next? I guess you will want the next coach to bring in the blacklisted to prepare for the 2014 WC. Anyhow yuh look at it the youths on this team is we 2014 squad - so get accustom to them. We are not developing players fast enough for there to be significant changes for 2014.

So we get lucky and scrape een the 2006 WC, and all yuh acting like is we birth right to be there every 4 years. For we to guarantee that we get in every 4 years it will take much more than a few foreign based, and a "big name" coach -  we must develop a footballing culture in T&T.

We does call weself ah footballing nation, but we doh love football in T&T (we love it everywhere else but T&T), we is ah nation of waggonists, and all yuh want to know why we having problems with player development, and have been ketching we ass to beat lowly CFU teams, even when we "big names" on de field.

All yuh ever watch how we foreign based does play real hard for dey clubs, but look like dey on vacation when dey playing for T&T. Look at all de mistakes Carlos been making, ah bet he doh make dem with Sunderland. Stern doh loaf as much in England - Yet all yuh blaming de coach. The players suppose to want it bad enough because dey representing THEIR nation, and that is all de motivation dey need. That reason alone is enough for dem to play to their full potential, This is not club football - this is yuh nation yuh representing.

Truth be told, and all things considered we shouldn't be in a WC finals, we just very fortunate. Nevertheless, we may stumble in 2010, so that we can finish in 2014 - I cool with that.

[lefty]

We like how the team play against El Salvador, Cuba and Guatemala for the most part, but want to fire de coach after USA beat we.

So let's say we don't make the Hex - I expect that Pacho will be fired then, then what next? I guess you will want the next coach to bring in the blacklisted to prepare for the 2014 WC. Anyhow yuh look at it the youths on this team is we 2014 squad - so get accustom to them. We are not developing players fast enough for there to be significant changes for 2014.

So we get lucky and scrape een the 2006 WC, and all yuh acting like is we birth right to be there every 4 years. For we to guarantee that we get in every 4 years it will take much more than a few foreign based, and a "big name" coach -  we must develop a footballing culture in T&T.

We does call weself ah footballing nation, but we doh love football in T&T (we love it everywhere else but T&T), we is ah nation of waggonists, and all yuh want to know why we having problems with player development, and have been ketching we ass to beat lowly CFU teams, even when we "big names" on de field.

All yuh ever watch how we foreign based does play real hard for dey clubs, but look like dey on vacation when dey playing for T&T. Look at all de mistakes Carlos been making, ah bet he doh make dem with Sunderland. Stern doh loaf as much in England - Yet all yuh blaming de coach. The players suppose to want it bad enough because dey representing THEIR nation, and that is all de motivation dey need. That reason alone is enough for dem to play to their full potential, This is not club football - this is yuh nation yuh representing.

Truth be told, and all things considered we shouldn't be in a WC finals, we just very fortunate. Nevertheless, we may stumble in 2010, so that we can finish in 2014 - I cool with that.

well said, but still one of things that I in the last few matches of the 06 campaign that has not resurfaced here was that finally......finally TT had developed courage while under fire something we never had imagine (holding the US 1-0 with ten men,come from behind twice against quatemala to win, coming from behind against mexico to win.) where did it come from, who put it there, and where has it gone now, even if pacho can't speak english, anton has been along for the ride for years, has he learned nothing, If nothing else that "never say die psycology" that the team had finally gained, should have stayed, wim started destroying it with his refusal to take the local player seriously and Anton and Jack allowed the job to be completed. If we should qualify again for the WC and players show the kind of nerve or lack thereof that was displayed last night we are going to feel the embarassment we were spared in Germany.

Make mistake people we weren't true contenders, but we had that mindset

the perfect scenario would been jack paying the player what was promised "rather than using it to fund his campaign antics"
have that team with the improved psyche playing and motivated ,mixing in the the new players to adopt that same mindset who would in turn instill it in even more local player when the pros aren't around(anymore)

it seems that some forget that as far as the "experts" were concerned we fielded an aging team "well past it's prime" for the WC

[arrow]

yes let's wait till after we lose against Guatemala with Theobald, Leon, Telesford and Wolfe running the midfield and our best defender sitting on the bench and fire him after that

[kounty]

yes let's wait till after we lose against Guatemala with Theobald, Leon, Telesford and Wolfe running the midfield and our best defender sitting on the bench and fire him after that

ex-fkin - zactly arrow.
now, I not sayin fire de man yet....but I really tink at this point he have to come out and say something - People of TnT I was jus tryin to give the youths a lil experience or something - it ent go be cool if this is the way he going and run things all the way thru.

[Dinner Mints]

We like how the team play against El Salvador, Cuba

We did? You mixing up 'happy for the win' with 'liking how they play'. Who here even see the Cuba game to like anything? To the contrary, complaints about the team's play have been going about since Ash Wednesday. Which was why the Guatemala game was a pleasant exception.

[D.H.W]

jack do yuh job and get rid of the bitch nah, i already having a bad day

[Baygo Boy]

I still cannot blame Pacho because football is one of the simplest sports to learn, everything you need to know to be effective in this game you would have learned by the time you are 17 if you are taking the game serious enough, so there should be little need for a coach to have to identify and correct every fault or mistake or even plan strategy simply because the object is always the same. A national team player should be able for the most part to identify his/her faults, and also have an idea on how to fix it, even if it means looking at tapes of quality players/matches - with your coach acting as a facilitator.

So the question is - why are we (T&T) having so much problems on the pitch? I believe that our problem is psychological. I believe that our players enter games focusing on the opponents instead of focusing on OUR game. We consentrate too much on what the other team is doing or going to do instead of being prepared to respond effectively to whatever action they take.

Also, I could never understand the concept of a "game plan" simply because sport is about actions and reactions - you have to react quickly after your opponent provides action, and we can never truly know what an opponent will do at any given time in a match hence the importance of creativity (something that is natural in T&T).

I remember the glory days of T&T football when coaches didn't have game plans, and teams would enter matches knowing what they brought to the table with little or no care about what their opponents can do (in other words bring it on), they were confident in their abilities, even when they had little.

I remember watching T&T play years before the Strike Squad era, and even when we were playing superior teams back then we played like it was supposed to be our last game, we feared no one, our players didn't spectate, they played for glory, they played for T&T, and you witnessed the pride - we never gave up it was football till the end, but then again we weren't exposed to too much foreign football, so we had very little to reference our game by, but today our players and fans are privy to top quality football via cable, and I believe that it may be a contributing factor to OUR (fans) expectations.

We should not forget that the teams we admire have the resources, decades of trail and error, massive player pools, and a national footballing culture. Our players need to believe in their abilities and enter matches with a do or die, make or break mentality - this mind-set will invoke the passion and creativity, and lead us to the type of results we (T&T) are looking for. Remember, it's not what your opponents can do, but what you can do to your opponents.

[Touches]

I still cannot blame Pacho because football is one of the simplest sports to learn, everything you need to know to be effective in this game you would have learned by the time you are 17 if you are taking the game serious enough, so there should be little need for a coach to have to identify and correct every fault or mistake or even plan strategy simply because the object is always the same. A national team player should be able for the most part to identify his/her faults, and also have an idea on how to fix it, even if it means looking at tapes of quality players/matches - with your coach acting as a facilitator.

So the question is - why are we (T&T) having so much problems on the pitch? I believe that our problem is psychological. I believe that our players enter games focusing on the opponents instead of focusing on OUR game. We consentrate too much on what the other team is doing or going to do instead of being prepared to respond effectively to whatever action they take.

Also, I could never understand the concept of a "game plan" simply because sport is about actions and reactions - you have to react quickly after your opponent provides action, and we can never truly know what an opponent will do at any given time in a match hence the importance of creativity (something that is natural in T&T).

I remember the glory days of T&T football when coaches didn't have game plans, and teams would enter matches knowing what they brought to the table with little or no care about what their opponents can do (in other words bring it on), they were confident in their abilities, even when they had little.

I remember watching T&T play years before the Strike Squad era, and even when we were playing superior teams back then we played like it was supposed to be our last game, we feared no one, our players didn't spectate, they played for glory, they played for T&T, and you witnessed the pride - we never gave up it was football till the end, but then again we weren't exposed to too much foreign football, so we had very little to reference our game by, but today our players and fans are privy to top quality football via cable, and I believe that it may be a contributing factor to OUR (fans) expectations.

We should not forget that the teams we admire have the resources, decades of trail and error, massive player pools, and a national footballing culture. Our players need to believe in their abilities and enter matches with a do or die, make or break mentality - this mind-set will invoke the passion and creativity, and lead us to the type of results we (T&T) are looking for. Remember, it's not what your opponents can do, but what you can do to your opponents.

Baygo Boy good post.

You even answered why Maturana is the wrong man for the team.

If he cannot motivate, instill confidence, respect or even communicate with his players how can the psychological aspect and winning mentality be instilled.

It is quite obvious the coach is having personal battles with his charges...how can a player then give his all, knowing he may get dropped the next game or dismissed via text.

Additionally, how would you feel if a player who has less ability, less experience, less knowledge and caps..play infront of you.

How would you feel if a man who is not on the squad, not playing for a team of any pedigree...not in the squad for the last few friendly games...BAM Start infront of players who running all the time.

Telesford get drop since the Jamaica game in the Marvin Lee...and you Miraculously change a "winning" team and insert him...just so.

Further...just to prove a point...yuh leave him on the field even though yuh could see he struggling.

I blaming him...100%

You have men in training right tru, right tru, and cant give them a 20 min run on the field? 

Is not now we know certain players not ready, is not know we know the midfield not wukking and is not now we struggling against small side....I formed my opinion a long time ago, it was reinforced each time I went to a game and last night was no surprise to me...I on entertainment long time.

I not vex atall that we lost to the USA....it was the manner in which it happened, that is what I am ashamed of.

It isn't that we not good enough to compete...it is the decisions of certain individuals holding us back from playing to our true potential.

Two of them being Pacho and Anton.

[Filho]

offside was questionable because the argument is did he interfere with the play and that can be argued all day

Hand ball was unintentional so again hand ball or ball to hand can be argued all day.

The goals really score because we cannot mark properly either from dead ball or field of play.

I balme the coach for not working on set plays defensively men getting beat to the spot consistiently
3 out of the last 4 goals we conceed was the same basic mistake

i not arguing it. just saying they would have been legt calls. on a free kick, a guy standing offside and jostling for the ball is probably gonna be called by ost refs if they see it.

unintentional handball is not called when the ball is played to the hand the player can't get out of the way in time. Onyweu attacked the balla nd was clumsy and mistimed it and slapped it away. again, the ref should have called it. i'm speculating that it was not a case of it being unintentional..but more likely a case of the ref not seeing it

but we agree...that is not why we lost. i tried to say as much. just making some observations

[Arazi]

I still cannot blame Pacho because football is one of the simplest sports to learn, everything you need to know to be effective in this game you would have learned by the time you are 17 if you are taking the game serious enough, so there should be little need for a coach to have to identify and correct every fault or mistake or even plan strategy simply because the object is always the same. A national team player should be able for the most part to identify his/her faults, and also have an idea on how to fix it, even if it means looking at tapes of quality players/matches - with your coach acting as a facilitator.

So the question is - why are we (T&T) having so much problems on the pitch? I believe that our problem is psychological. I believe that our players enter games focusing on the opponents instead of focusing on OUR game. We consentrate too much on what the other team is doing or going to do instead of being prepared to respond effectively to whatever action they take.

Also, I could never understand the concept of a "game plan" simply because sport is about actions and reactions - you have to react quickly after your opponent provides action, and we can never truly know what an opponent will do at any given time in a match hence the importance of creativity (something that is natural in T&T).

I remember the glory days of T&T football when coaches didn't have game plans, and teams would enter matches knowing what they brought to the table with little or no care about what their opponents can do (in other words bring it on), they were confident in their abilities, even when they had little.

I remember watching T&T play years before the Strike Squad era, and even when we were playing superior teams back then we played like it was supposed to be our last game, we feared no one, our players didn't spectate, they played for glory, they played for T&T, and you witnessed the pride - we never gave up it was football till the end, but then again we weren't exposed to too much foreign football, so we had very little to reference our game by, but today our players and fans are privy to top quality football via cable, and I believe that it may be a contributing factor to OUR (fans) expectations.

We should not forget that the teams we admire have the resources, decades of trail and error, massive player pools, and a national footballing culture. Our players need to believe in their abilities and enter matches with a do or die, make or break mentality - this mind-set will invoke the passion and creativity, and lead us to the type of results we (T&T) are looking for. Remember, it's not what your opponents can do, but what you can do to your opponents.

This is one of the best posts I have read on this site in a while.

I think that is why we lost last night, we (bar probably the start of the second half) never focused on playing our game but seemed more concerned that we were playing against america...
I am one the men who was early to say maturana should not be fired but i thought it over and i think he should go...

A good coach should have been able to iron out that poor defensive shape for set pieces, you cannot allw the same goal to be scored on your team 4 times...

however removing him now may cause more harm than good...flip a coin...

[samo]

however removing him now may cause more harm than good...flip a coin...

Cyah see anymore damage than what already happened..

[warmonga]

After wathing yesteday game I ma convince dat Maturana wants to be fired .. What he have been doing is deliberate attempt to get fired. He is acting clueless to whats going on ... I wish him de best but he has to go .. and now ..
Maturana needs to go now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
war

[Deeks]

If we go by the premise that Pacho is not to be blamed, ok!!! Our team looked bloody clueless!!!! When someone on the thread asked why we are never satisfied? Well yesterday's performance should give them a clue.

[Small Magician aka Wazza]

jai john  you just lost 10 cool points.....  1 massive shit post...  they should fire you and maturana lol

[Baygo Boy]

Touches, I look forward to your reports, it's clear that you understand how to evaluate players, as a matter of fact I was going to PM you with info on a football scouting course that pro scout Derek Bragg (Scouting Network) is involved with, so that you can scout for pro clubs ( I am serious).

Regarding your comments - there were 2 or 3 players who told the media recently that Pacho was responsible for their belief in their ability, and has provided motivation, I believe Keon was one of the players, so he may be providing motivation.

Also, you and I both know that a player will be considered unprofessional if he cannot accept being overlooked for someone who he (the Player) feels he is "better" than, and if at all that premier player is being disruptive because he was benched, in the world of professional sports he stands a chance of being removed from the roster, or traded etc. remember this is pro football, not "pay to play" ball.

Also, as I said in another post - coaches tend to make selection decisions based on how a player performs in practice, and of course we are not privy to practice sessions. Also, one of the biggest complaints about T&T players I have recieved from pro coaches in the USA/Canada over the years is that they underperform during training sessions, and as a club owner with T&T players I can attest to that, and that is one of the reasons we are not seeing certain players on this team.

Also, coaches are humans, and will make mistakes at times. You are right about one thing YOU will know more about our players abilities than Pacho, simply because you have followed their careers closely.

Although I do blame Telesford and Leon for the hell that our central defenders went through, I do understand why he went with Telesford - Telesford is a work horse, a runner, the type of player who on a good day will be at the feet of his attackers (the type of player we need against a team like the USA). it's one of the reasons PR love him (very little skill though).

As regards the ommission of some players - we don't know the facts, but as a club owner with national team players on my roster, I have received calls from college and national team coaches requesting that I don't play their players against certain opponents when the player is nursing a mild injury, or coming off an injury, and in several instances I obliged simply because I want that coach on my side, so that I can have access to his players in the future - that's why depth is so important. When fans and the media ask why a player didn't play I blame it on injury, or illness.

I do agree that the current squad is not our best, but I will like to believe that only good can come from all this. This crop is the least skillful of any T&T senior team I have witnessed in recent times, but maybe our love for skill, and the South American game maybe what's wrong with OUR football.

Pacho look pissed, not clueless.