Latas first interview with us.Sam: So Latas, how yuh going boss, big bounce and thing. Hold that meh boy...
Latas: Yea boy Sammy, glad to meet yuh.
Sam: How preparations going, is them men fit ?
Latas: Them men very fit, I will prove to the world you dont need to play warm up games to prepare for a game. You can run, stretch and train and that will be enough to get match fit. Do you see Chelsea, Manchester United and Barcelona playing any big set of warm up games ? they go on preseason tour to make money. We did the same at Falkirk.
Sam: So how did you train the team on a technical aspect.
Latas: I had them train against Tobago United in the same tactics I was using during training. I also try my version on my Play Station 3 FIFA 2008 and T&T won every game, we even beat Brazil in a friendly game, I have no doubt in my mind we can do the same in real life.
Sam: But Tobago United is the worst team in the league for 5 years since their existent and they still managed to score one on T&T. What sort of prep is that.
Latas: We needed a confidence booster, this is why we chose Tobago United. I also told Jan Williams to let a goal go in to show up our defence a little. Its all part of my strategy.
Sam: Oh; So yuh feel we go beat Costa Rica.
Latas: Well Varnes came back from Costa Rica yesterday as he went to scout them vs USA and he said Costa Rica have 7 left footed players, which means they are very skillful and if we can score a goal or two in the first 15 minutes, we will win, but if Costa Rica settle down they could do some damage. I have a good feeling about this game, we won them on FIFA 2008 and we plan to make this a reality.
Sam: How do you feel about Theobald, I saw you paying him special attention in training.
Latas: I made a deal with him while he was at Falkirk, I said the day I become coach of T&T I will adopt him, now I cannot go back on my words, even though he is not one of the better players on the team, he is my new son. He cried everyday in Scotland to return home, he loves his country and that inspired me.
Sam: How you feel we will do in Mexico.
Latas: I will show the world once more and do what no other team has done except for Costa Rica and beat Mexico in Mexico. We trained at San Fernando Hill and Maracus Valley mountain for weeks just to get accustom to high altitude, we are ready for them.
Sam: I saw you play Keon Daniel at left back vs de Tobago 11, how come.
Latas: My philosophy is different, as I told you, I bring my own style, Keon is weak in defence, so why not play him there to help improve his defensive weakness. He is also lazy and dont like to run, so playing him in left back will help him improve that as well, he wants to become a better player because he wants to go to the UK to play oneday for Chelsea, so I will make sure I can help the player.
Sam: How can we improve our defence.
Latas: I might consider playing 6 in defence. Hislop and Spann on the right, Lawrence, Thomas and Andrews center, Avery on the left. Have no fear we are ready.
Sam: Answer me honestly, did you help push Maturana out the door.
Latas: Well Maturana had it coming, he was experimenting with our players during important games, and I had to take charged of the last 2 WC games we played. And with that poor result and poor team play I whispered something into Jack Warner ears and he took bait. Here I am. I am the boss now. Where is Leo Benhakker now, !!! he gave me 20 mins in de world cup and I got them there, I am the boss now..
Sam: But you are interim, how can you say you are boss.
Latas: I told Jack if I get the chance to stay on permanently as head coach I will take a pay cut and still play until I am 50, he agreed silently.
Sam: Why wasn't Brent Sancho and Kelvin Jack considered.
Latas: Well, Kelvin is de getting fit player, he has been getting fit 3 years now and still isn't. Sancho bull Warner cousin so he blacklisted. I wanted to call Leonson Lewis but he out of de country on business.
Sam: Who is your insparation.
Latas: Marlboro lights, now its du Maurier (half pack).
Sam: You called 22, who do you feel will get cut when you name your final 18.
Latas: Jan Michael Williams, Trent Noel and Kerry Baptiste. I wanted to cut Theobald, but remember I told you about the promise. I felt sorry cutting Atullah Guerra, but he does get vex to fast man. Anthony Wolfe real cuss me when I took him off when we played USA last time, so he had it coming. Andre Toussaint, Errol McFarlane, Devon Jorsling and Andrei Pacheco just cant take it up a level, Nicholson Thomas was a good right back, but I prefer Hislop, he does real kiss ass in training, Radanfah Abu Bakr good, but he slower than Marvin Andrews, we wanted to give a Tobago player a bling this is why Dwayne Jack was considered, Hughton Hector only running up and down with no idea what he doing, we dont need two players doing that on de team we already have Collin Samuel filling that position, Keavaugh Connell needs to find a call, only certain unattach players can make my team, besides, de foreigners will always get favored, ask Kenwyne and Yorke.
Sam: Will you be watching any other players after the Costa Rica and Mexico game.
Latapy: Yes, we might call in Bobby Zamora and Jlloyd Samuel seeing that FIFA remove the age limit on players switching nations. We need Zamora because he played well for Fulham and he plays at a high level comepare to our other strikers like Stern John and Jason Scotland for example. Samuel is a good replacement in left back for Maturana step son Aklie Edwards. I wonder if John Barnes might be interested in a call up ?
Sam: Speaking of Aklie, why wasn't he called, I know he suspended for the Costa Rica game but he could have play vs Mexico.
Latas: Only 11 players can take the field, we have no space for Aklie. He should have also sign for Red Bulls when he had the chance to because outside experience is always better even if the pay was the same, this shit really pissed me off, he have no ambition at all. Makes me wonder who is really these players agent and advisors. Same with Ancil Farrier. Them fellas head not straight.
Sam: Why was Darryl Roberts called also.
Latas: How much man you want me to call ? only 11 can play. Shit man, allyuh fellas on that site real idle boy. Allyuh calling for Avery all de time, he here now, allyuh glad ? I wanted to go with a 3-5-2 formation but now allyuh force meh hand. He and Collin was blacklisted yuh know, ah bending backwards for allyuh. Steups.. allyuh even want me to stop wearing my ear rights. Steups, Maradona still wear his and he is a great coach.
Sam: Calm down nah man.
Latas: Meh eh getting paid for this yuh know.
Sam: I cant pay you but I have smokes.
Latas: That will do, thanks buddy. And you take care my good man, let them fellas on de site know that we are grateful for the support. Me and Dwight going out tonight to blaze some pokie tonight, Dwight have to stay fit and that is the only way he stays fit (some guy name
christiano from de site keep calling him though). Dwight could make my team anyday, them other fellas cant do this, even though ah hearing Edwards and others broke camp last time and party hard hard, but though let me catch them, I dont play that even though me and Yorkie did that in de past I dont want that to come back and haunt me now. Ok then bye, I have to go and try a technical training game I have on FIFA 09, we have 2 days left, busy busy...
EXTENTIONRussell Latapy clutching to fading hopes.Yuh training
-Yea
When
-Once a week
With who
-With some locals
Try some Spanish, Villa Capri have them live
Anyways.... But ent de foreign base available
-Yea, but them on vacation and what to lime and fete
We prepare to go Scotland for training
-Yes, we will be playing Hibs, Falkirk and St Johnstone
So you following Porterfield footsteps, playing club teams to prepare for international tournament while the others teams will be well prepared coming off the Gold Cup.
-Well, kinda, but again, I will prove to the world we dont need to play friendly games to have a good team, I didnot do my home work in school and I was successful, they even name a school after me in Trinidad.
So you feel we go beat El Salvador, a team who got better as the tournament got on, they beat Mexico and now Costa Rica in the gold cup while T&T has declined, T&T look better going forward now, but their defence is holier than de RC church in Sando.
-Well, mathematically we still have a good chance, once we win our reaming games. Forget RC church, I going La Brea by some Obea-Man.
Between you and I, yuh really feel we going South Africa.
-No, we in a deep hole and it getting deeper, but Jack Warner wants to hear we going SA, so, we going SA. One day though, he will wake up, I just hope I can win a few games before that happens as Celtics have offer me a job in Scotland to coach their team once I get the experience with T&T the offer will be there and I will be close with my family once more. This time I win, Jack lose.
How yuh think de TTFF does operate
-Yuh don't see how many getting position hear in T&T for free, look at Anton Corneal, a perfect example, he said the under 17 team was ready before they went Mexico and then after the poor games, they got 13 goals scored on, zero scored and now he bad talking de players in public and making all sort of excuses. No he has been promoted to assistant coach of the under 20 team and I bet you he will bad talk the foreign players we may get to help the team (Jake Thomson, Gavin Hoyte etc).
He did the same thing with the last under 20 team with Ricky Shakes (for eg) and his team was embarass in LA.
-Look at his father (Alvin), he vex I got the job, he comes every week with a column in the T&T guardian about my team but I have not heard him mention anything about his son's team. Alvin does have a strong hold over Warner, maybe they got deep secrets.
-I cant handle all this drama in the TTFF, so I ready to take as much as I can get and run when de time is right.
-Anyhow Sam, ah have to go, I hear meh mother calling meh.
Ok, then, we go do ah next interview soon.