Keane must show Yorke, TT respect.
By Peter O’Connor (Newsday).Sunderland FC in the English Premiership lists more than 30 “overseas” players in its squad. For the purposes of football, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and of course the Republic of Ireland are all separate, and to England, “foreign” football nations.
Among this 30-odd group there are three from Trinidad and Tobago: Dwight Yorke, Carlos Edwards and the injured Kenwynne Jones.
For the World Cup Qualifiers played around the world on September 6 and 10 , at least ten of these players were called by their respective countries to play.
One of these was TT captain Dwight Yorke, a person coming off injury in England, and in need of playing time on the field. Yorke played the full 90 minutes against Guatemala. His experience and leadership remain vital to TT’s success. Two days before the team was to leave for the match in the United States, Dwight received a text message from Sunderland manager Roy Keane, instructing him to return to Sunderland immediately.
There was no contact with the TTFF, not even a courtesy (wrong word in describing Keane) call to our Coach Francisco Maturana, nor anything even in writing which Yorke could show to the TTFF in case their was any doubt about the astonishing nature of the summons.
But Keane would soon remove all doubt. Yes, he had sent the terse and insulting text message, because he “needed” Dwight for Sunderland’s match on Saturday, September 13, and Dwight could not play for his country on Wednesday and again on Saturday for Sunderland.
But others could! Keane claimed that Yorke had told him “about five times” that he (Yorke) had retired, and now he hears that Yorke is “running about on a field in Trinidad”.
Is he implying that Yorke was called up and came to Trinidad without his knowledge or permission? If this is the case, I would be very surprised, but let us wait for clarification.
If Sunderland knew that Yorke was here — and every player has every right to return from retirement should they so choose — then why pretend they did not know?
It appears that Keane, struggling with poor results, flailed at the one country which he felt he could bully, and instead of calling TTFF and seeing what could be arranged, summoned Yorke back. He certainly would not have tried that with Scotland, Ireland or Northern Ireland. Keane would have contacted those team managers, and discussed his problem. Because he hasno respect for us, he summons Yorke back by text.
And for what? Dwight was not even on the bench for the so-called critical game. No European country’s manager would have tolerated what we were forced to accept.
The loss of a critically important player, on the eve of departure for an important game would be disastrous had he been injured or sick. But to have your captain snatched away for petulant, selfish, and ultimately unnecessary reasons is hard to accept. Because Yorke the twilight of his career, it is difficult for him, or indeed TTFF, to respond meaningfully to this insult. We all remember how Alex Ferguson benched Yorke and Andy Cole when he decided that he did not like their behaviour off the field — even if it meant the team was losing on the field.
Keane learned his behaviour from Ferguson. Yorke would like to play a couple more years, but does not want to sit on a bench in Sunderland as punishment. He may not get many offers given his age, so, as he said, he is stuck between a rock and a hard place. So, are there any options for Dwight, or for us, in this situation? I noted there was a total lack of concern among the local media and fans for what Yorke had done — to the Tobagonian and to Trinidad and Tobago. But we have always had a very servile colonial attitude to dealing with the football clubs. We have repeatedly defended the club’s rights over the players rights because we are too insecure to stand up.
Would Yorke be willing to come back home, as Player/Assistant Coach for the Senior Team, and why not also for the Under-20 Team as it plays in the Superleague. His experience and leadership could lift both of these national teams, and develop Yorke’s skills as a manager and coach for the future.
If this could be worked out, we (Trinidad and Tobago — not Jack Warner) would need to buy out Yorke’s contract with Sunderland, and also compensate him at his true worth, based upon his current earnings.
Is there anyone in TT, corporate or otherwise, who might see the value in this Yorke willing of course!
.jpg)
TRINIDAD and Tobago football team captain Dwight Yorke, left, chest traps under pressure from Guatemalans Jean Marquez Orellana (No 16) and Carlos Cas...
