Phillips: No need for knee-jerk reaction over Latapy.
By Kern De Freitas (T&T Express).
FUTURE UNCERTAIN
Speculation has already begun over the future of Russell Latapy as Trinidad and Tobago senior coach after the national team exited the Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals on Sunday in Martinique.
Fans and pundits alike have been expressing their views, many not pleased with the team's performance and Latapy's selections for the tournament, after T&T crashed out of the competition with losses to Cuba and Grenada.
Cuba won 2-0, while Grenada edged T&T 1-0 to end their campaign at the group stage.
Trinidad and Tobago, who are yet to score in Group H, play their final match today (8.30 p.m.) against hosts Martinique looking for a consolation win.
San Juan Jabloteh coach Terry Fenwick has also been reported as questioning T&T's commitment and tactics. Yesterday, newly re-elected T&T Football Federation president Oliver Camps refused to comment on T&T's results, but did say a post-mortem of the failed campaign will be conducted soon after their return from Martinique.
Since taking up a two-year contract as T&T head coach at the beginning of March, Latapy has been under pressure following a string of average results, including a 1-1 draw away to Guyana, a 3-0 beating at the hands of Panama, and a 0-0 draw with Belize.
Before the current tournament, Minister of Sport Anil Roberts stated that Latapy should be replaced if he is unable to take T&T to the Digicel Cup final.
But TTFF technical director Lincoln "Tiger" Phillips told the Express there was no need for "knee-jerk decisions" despite T&T's second successive failure to reach the final four of the Caribbean Cup and qualify for next year's CONCACAF Gold Cup.
"We need to look at the issues and not make any knee-jerk decision. We are not the only country (who has footballing issues)", Phillips said yesterday.
The former national goalkeeper felt the T&T players did not properly fulfill their roles.
"You cannot get four chances in front of goal (and not score them)," Phillips reasoned. "That shows that whatever preparation (issues) we had, that means we were good enough to win. But at the end of the day, you have to execute and if you fail to execute, you have to live with (the results)."
Phillips revealed that T&T did not play a friendly match during the last FIFA international date on November 17, like a number of other countries in the Digicel Cup did, because the TTFF could not afford it.
T&T's failure to qualify for the Gold Cup also provides them with another big problem.
"Obviously it's not good. (If) we qualify for the Gold Cup, it give you more games, more opportunities to play, to see players play against other teams and so on. When that is taken away it does not augur well for our team.
"In every situation there's a lesson to be learned. If you look hard and long enough we can see where the issues are."
Former national player Ron La Forest described T&T's results as a "great setback to the nation" and felt Latapy "needs" coaching "help".
"What I said was one of Latas' faults in the beginning," La Forest told CCN TV6 yesterday, "is that I think he needed more senior heads around him. I felt that like normally Trinidad coaches want to do it on their own.
"We have experienced coaches here. I think that's one of his mistakes when he got the job, he should have brought in senior people to help him go forward."
La Forest suggested Latapy should have had a stronger squad for the tournament, with teams like Jamaica "bringing back their full-fledged pros".
"We wanted to go forward," the former Olympic team coach said. "I think that we should have been full strength. You don't take tournaments for granted."
Still, La Forest is not quick to call for Latapy's resignation as national coach.
"I won't say for him to step down, but he needs a lot of help elsewhere."
