"Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s"
How does one keep politics separate from football?
I often wonder how the TTFF Special Advisor (is he advising or dictating?) is able to convince coaches to venture into a perilous position.......coaching in TNT? Are these appointments for the general good of football or are they designed to propagate a political position?
I am drawn to Shakespeare's play Juilus Caesar as I reflect on the themes of ambition, and the yearning for power by our own Prince Machavelli. it also reflects how miscommunication both in the form of deception and self-deception, is endemic not only in the action of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar but may also be in the process of selecting a national coach.
Imagine if you will a scene with the special advisor offering the coaching reins to someone:
" And then he offered it the third time. He put it the third time by; and still as he refused it, the rabblement hooted and clapped their chopt hands, and threw up their sweaty nightcaps, and uttered such a deal of stinking breath"
Are we the rabblement that hoots and howls at every appointment as though a Saviour has landed in our midst?
With all due respect to the now present (flavour of the day) senior coach it behoves me to be objective in seeking out clarity as to the process and thinking which goes into appointing a coach in TNT. Without stating the obvious everyone could possibly surmise that Mr. Warner is the anointed ‘brain thrust’ (tongue in cheek) behind each selection. But what is the long term impact of the manner of these selections on the sustainability and growth of our football program, and our capacity to develop knowledge and expertise among our local players and coaches?
In previous WC campaigns prior to 2007, we met with relative success but again the tradition of changing coaches continued.
How is it that countries like Costa Rica and Mexico are able to consistently achieve success with local coaches? Is it the system they employ or is it their football program? Or the football ethos which seems to thrive in those countries? Did Beenhakker’s success give rise to a paradigm switch in our selection mandate for the national men’s team? Do we now put more faith in the style or system of an international expert over our own?
Tia Turner in her song asked the question 'what does love have to do with it; it is a second hand emotion? well what does style or system of play have do do with it? Does it matter? as long as the players you have could achieve success playing with what is being implemented.
If one was to objectively examine Bertille St Clair’s prior success before the WC qualifying debacle would it not be worthy of merit? Paradoxically, his successor’s imminent success has now seems to give rise to a thinking that in order for us to be successful, we need to have an international coach with prior success. Reflect on the appointment of Wim after the WC? Was there not some clandestine meeting abroad and the next thing you know Wim is at the helm. Supporters clamoured with glee at the possibility of continuity under the prior regime. With the naming of A.Corneal, some folks again were ready to praise the appointment as one that deserves merit; now in comes Francisco Maturana. We are still uncertain as to whether he is adorned with the title of fulltime coach till 2010 or interim.
How would TNT nationals like, Anton Corneal, Latapy, Stephan Hart or any others who may one day in the future aspire to achieve success as a national coach ever be given that opportunity? Would they have to seek opportunities elsewhere and prove their success before an opportunity is given to them in their homeland? Would it be a ‘crying shame’ for TNT if Corneal was to take Barbados or St. Kitts to the World Cup? This man has been a bridesmaid for many; only a bride for a short period. One would think that he has learned and has acquired some knowledge under the tutelage of prior coaches.
I ask the question is the present coaching selection one that is thoughtfully and intentionally done so as to sustain our program, players and local coaches or is it one that is strives for serendipitous success?
Would history repeat itself and would Maturana join the list of TTFF coaching merry go –round or would we among the elite in South Africa in 2010? Welcome to the world on TNT football Maturana.
TTFF's coaching merry-go-round.
Stuart Fevrier named new T&T Head Coach.
By Shaun Fuentes.
15-May-2003 - The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, on Thursday, announced prominent local-based coach Stuart Charles Fevrier as Head Coach of the Trinidad and Tobago National Senior and Olympic teams for a four-year period in the first instance.
T&T Express Reports.
16-Jan-2004 - The TTFF are notoriously restless in the period surrounding the World Cup qualifying campaign.
Starworld Strikers coach and celebrated past national player, Everald "Gally" Cummings, was the last coach to be allowed to lead his team throughout a qualifying campaign when he took the "Strike Squad" to within a point of the 1990 World Cup tournament.
Another local coach, Edgar Vidale, led the national team for their short lived 1994 campaign although he was made junior to Brazilian Clovis D'Oliviera at a crucial juncture.
For the 1998 qualifiers, the technical bench was cramped for space as a then unprecedented number of coaches, technical directors and advisors were employed.
Yugoslav Zoran Vranes ran the first leg before being replaced by Brazilian Sebastiao de Pereira after just one match in the CONCACAF semi-final stage.
However, Cummings, Look Loy and Kenny Joseph also played significant roles during the course of the campaign.
National head coach Bertille St Clair was axed one week before the first 2002 World Cup qualifying game after FIFA vice-president and T&TFF special advisor Jack Warner said he was dissatisfied with their returns of a Gold Cup semi-final place.
His replacement, Scotsman Ian Porterfield, was demoted to head coach below Brazilian Rene Simoes while Vranes and Corneal were also brought in to assist. Porterfield eventually lost the job outright to the Brazilian.
Fevrier, a success at Pro League team Vibe CT 105 W Connection, was termed "a quintessential Caribbean man" by Warner when he was selected to lead the team into the 2006 campaign last May. Eight months later, the TTFF have had another change of heart.
Hannibal Najjar falls on his sword.
By Lasana Liburd.
01.Apr.03 - Trinidad and Tobago national football team technical director and head coach Hannibal Najjar had his term brought to an abrupt end yesterday on April Fools' Day.
Najjar, who accepted the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) post last October, failed to guarantee the “Soca Warriors” an automatic place in the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup after falling 3-1 to Cuba at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella last Sunday.
The T&TFF yesterday announced Najjar’s resignation via a press release, which further stated that ex-Joe Public coach, Zoran Vranes, would be returned to serve as interim coach.
Warriors go from St Clair to Beenhakker.
By: Lasana Liburd - T&T Express.
03-Apr-2005 - If only they had fired Bertille St Clair sooner. Surely I am not the only one thinking it. But my feelings have less to do with St Clair's reign than the possibilities offered by his replacement.
How much sweeter it is to swoon over Beenhakker's resume than to discuss St Clair's perceived shortcomings. Three Spanish titles at the helm of Real Madrid, three Dutch league crowns, a World Cup finals appearance with Holland (1990), while he got Saudi Arabia to the 1994 edition for the first time in their history-they showed their gratitude by sacking him before the tournament started because of their dislike for his training methods.
He even has experience of CONCACAF superpowers, Mexico, after joining Club America as coach for the 1994-95 season. Again, he was sacked. Ostensibly for failing to win silverware, although there were rumours that he threw a club director from his dressing room.
The 62-year-old Dutchman is the most accomplished coach ever to lead out a Trinidad and Tobago outfit and he deserves every opportunity to fulfill his mission, which is to take the artists-formerly-known-as-the-Soca Warriors into the Germany 2006 World Cup tournament.
Spare a thought for St Clair who, like Hannibal Najjar two years ago, was crudely replaced on April Fool's Eve. It is a date that local coaches with international aspirations might want to write into their calendars. Then, Najjar reiterated his commitment to the job and willingness to continue at the same time that the T&TFF was faxing his resignation to the various media houses.
St Clair discovered he was sacked on his way to a team meeting with his employers via a radio broadcast. How would you feel if you turned up for work and saw someone sitting in your desk and your family pictures in a cardboard box while everyone tried to avoid eye contact?
I do not think St Clair would have taken T&T to the World Cup. I felt he did not enjoy the full support of T&TFF technical director Lincoln "Tiger" Phillips, who questioned his tactics too freely in public or the Football Federation, who subjected him to a humiliating "public symposium" last November. And I believe he was in danger of losing the dressing room by his tactical meandering.
His failure to settle on a team system, a strike partnership or a holding midfielder was also a distraction.
But I also believe that St Clair does not deserve to be called a flop. He left the team in a better shape than he got it, just like he did in his first stint five years ago.
Birmingham City striker Dwight Yorke, Trinidad and Tobago's most successful and best player, is back in the fold and committed enough to sacrifice his attacking instincts by playing a midfield role, while Portsmouth goalkeeper Shaka Hislop also agreed to lend his calming influence to the squad-on and off the field.
At the local level, the players were again taught to respect the national shirt and the merit of graft and discipline. Anton Pierre and Denzil Theobold emerged better for it, as did Clayton Ince, Stern John and Dale Saunders during his first spell as head coach.
In 2000, Scotsman Ian Porterfield took over a team in a rich vein of form after an unprecedented top-four finish at the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament.
It was St Clair's rotten luck to twice run first leg rather than anchor, but it is to his credit that he was asked to run in the first place and he did not disgrace himself on either occasion.
His final record is 35 games played with 18 wins, three draws and 14 losses, which makes him the first coach to end with more wins than draws and losses since Porterfield, who was sacked on June 25, 2001.
Trinidad and Tobago managed just one point from a possible nine in their first three final round World Cup qualifiers but that is not an unusual position for the twin island republic.
Porterfield got one point from five outings before Warner's patience ran out. They are the only three coaches to lead the T&TFF into the final CONCACAF qualifying round since the 1974 World Cup campaign. St Clair did not ask for the job-he was summoned to serve his country, did his best and should be thanked for his efforts.
Perhaps he was the chosen one.
The king is dead...hail the king.
Rijsbergen looking forward to 2010 challenge.
By: Shaun Fuentes.
Newly appointed National Team senior coach Wim Rijsbergen says he’s relishing the challenge of leading the national team towards South Africa 2010 but moreso helping this country to maintain the momentum it picked up following its qualification and subsequent performance at the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany.
Just one day following the announcement of his new position Rijsbergen said he was already drawing up plans to assist in the development of the youth system and the senior team.
I am delighted to be able to take up the position as head coach of Trinidad and Tobago. One of the good things about this is that while I also had to look past some of the other offers which came my way for jobs after the World Cup, the fact that I already had some involvement with Trinidad and that we had already worked towards something and I know what it’s like there now, and after discussing with Mr Warner, I said the decision to remain here was something I was looking forward to, Rijsbergen told TTFF Media on Wednesday.