Benhakker vs. Cummings

[1989]

Give your explanation of why you think that your choice was/is the better coach.  That is, define what your definition of 'better' is.  I'm just curious for some discussions.

[morvant]

i saw beenie because he has to put up with the great one aka "DAVID NAKID"

[Jahyouth]

As of right now, they are both the same.  Yuh know why?  Neither of them take Trinidad to a World Cup.. yet.

Let Beenie do his work nah.  Allyuh quick to compare eh?

[andre samuel]

better coach?

is there a comparision?..lol

Oh please!!

[football king]

gally ain't bad-beenhaker have the better resume by a little  

beenhaker definitely have a tougher assignment.

none of them in BSC class

[1989]

I just think of what Cummings did with a bunch of little fellas, but then again, Benhakker is looking into the face of impossibility and delivering results.

[JERSEY TRINI]

It really hard to choose they because Gally had a home based team to work with but only had two spots to play for. Beenie man have a foriegn base team to work with in a couple days and had three and half spots to play for but only had nine games to do it. That is not considering the playoff spots. So I really find it hard dey.

[kicker]

Gally is not in the coaching class of Beenhakker, otherwise he'd be sought after by international teams at a higher level than the Trinidad Secondary Schools league. I'm not trying to downplay his achievements but we have to put things in perspective. The U.S. team that beat us in 1989 was comprised mainly of a bunch of NCAA college players and ex. NCAA players, very few (if any) of whom were doing anything significant at the World Level. The level of competitiveness of CONCACAF at that time was way lower than it is now. Football in our region was almost a totally different game then.

Could Gally coach Real Madrid ? or Holland ?...doubtful.

If you want to compare Gally and Beenhakker based on how close the teams came to qualifying for the respective World Cups, then you have a way too simplistic view of the game of football.

If Gally came into the team when Beenie did, would we be where are today ?..........There is no "right" answer to that question, but my guess is no.

[Trini]

It really hard to choose they because Gally had a home based team to work with but only had two spots to play for. Beenie man have a foriegn base team to work with in a couple days and had three and half spots to play for but only had nine games to do it. That is not considering the playoff spots. So I really find it hard dey.

2 spots yes, but remember Mexico was banned that campaign eh, so it kinda the same as now.
Cummings good, but Beenie have more experience.

Also, 2 totally different scenarios and teams to coach.
Coach for coach, I feel beenie in a class by himself, just because of experience.

[football king]

gally had no mexico and  weaker opposition compared to this campaign??
could say he had more support, fans, govt, corporate. more technically sound players.

beenie facing a slightly tougher task i would say beenie plus his resume compared to gally is well can't even compare.

[kicker]

gally had no mexico and  weaker opposition compared to this campaign??
could say he had more support, fans, govt, corporate. more technically sound players.

I don't think the strike squad players were more technically sound. Some of the players were probably more naturally talented, (Latapy & Lewis) relative to the competition (which was a lot weaker), but technically sound ??

I think the strike squad players (in general) were amateur players with the same if not more technical deficiencies..........just a more natually talented relatively and a more cohesive unit.

[andre samuel]

It really hard to choose they because Gally had a home based team to work with but only had two spots to play for. Beenie man have a foriegn base team to work with in a couple days and had three and half spots to play for but only had nine games to do it. That is not considering the playoff spots. So I really find it hard dey.

Gally had 2 spots to play for but didnt have to content with mexico, and the USA as they are today and had players to coach everday for weeks!

Do u think that Gally could have turned this team into wat they are now?

i doubt.

while gally was taking us to a point of the world cup, beenie man was coaching Holland.

comparision? lol...i beg to differ!

1 victory against el salvador and 2 against guatemala duing de 1990 campaign and we done ready tuh compare de man tuh beenie man?.....lol, mr. 1989, u is real kix!!

i personally think dat this team is better than the strike squad.  Even though the strike squad had more unity, they serevely lacked experience.

this team that we have now will definetly beat a team comprising of some NCAA players were they to have faced a USA team of that calibre in this qualifying campaign.

So let's stop this nonsense please.     

comparission? lol

[Trini]

Yea, this comparison thing is waste of time.
2 different situations and eras.

But for the fun of it, I personally feel this T&T team now woulda decimate that 1989 team.

[truetrini]

I want to see dem fellas in ah boxing match!

[palos]

But for the fun of it, I personally feel this T&T team now woulda decimate that 1989 team.

Funny how life is eh?  Just a short 8 months ago had someone asked who would have won between the 2 teams I'm pretty sure most would have said the Strike Squad.  Matter of fact, I believe that same question was asked some time ago on this forum and most people did say that the Strike Squad would mash up this team.

[Cowen]

The question is ....do you think Gallly could have handled this present squad with all the "Stars". I'm pretty sure Beenie could have managed the strike squad ....but i'm not to sure bout Gally and the Warriors

[behind-de-bridge]

Cyar vote yet. De campaign aint over!

[Ball Ho fuh life]

wedda or not de campaign over, beenie would have tuh get de nod.  based on credentials, we could say is due tuh experience.  BUT DE KEY HERE IS HEARTS AN' MINDS! what change in de Warriors team is not so much dey technical ability - is more de cohesion, de desire an' de pride dat dey playin' wit' now.  due tuh de results dis bring, de players gain confidence an' now dey not afraid tuh play "Dey own game!"  by extension dey seem more technically proficient.  while beenie is not a Trini, ah have a feelin' it take somebody who know what is de difference dat deez "big teams" have.  part o' it is skill, but is not like Mexico have a ton of men playin' outside o' Mexico needa.  Borgetti wit Bolton an' Rafa Marquez wit' Real, but Mexico does play wit PRIDE.  CONFIDENCE IS A HELL OF A TING!  dat is why we could play fuh time in de las' ten minutes of a game wit'out gettin frighten now!  DE MAN WHO INSTILL DAT GET DE NOD, not only because o' technical efficiency, but he reach de hearts an' minds of de players

[kicker]

Cyar vote yet. De campaign aint over!

There is no comparing Beenie with Gally. C'mon let's be serious. You can't use the two campaigns to decide which coach is better between the two. You talking about two completely different teams, two completely different scenarios, competitive environments etc.............

You're telling me that if we fail to qualify (God Forbid), that you would deem Beenie and Gally to be equally good coaches ? Is it just me, or is that a most rediculous and over-simplified measure ?

In my opinion, to compare the two as coaches you have to measure the individuals based on experience & exposure, coaching credentials, resume, potential, past sucesses, reputation etc....and in that regard, there is no question that Beenie is a better coach than Gally.

I can't believe this is even a debate.

That being said, one can argue that had Gally been developed in the same environment, given the same opportunities and the same exposure as Beenie, he may have been a better coach than Beenie....but  that is pure speculation and a worthless discussion that would go on forever.

[capodetutticapi]

take this into consideration:de warriors would listen and adhere to the tactics of beenhakker more than they would have done with gally.why? he has the experience.TRINI MIND SET..................he coach holland and real.he must b good.

[spideybuff]

I backing Gally all the way because he himself made a valid point... In 1989, we had regular goals from Faustin, Hutson Charles, Marlon Morris, Philbert Jones, Kerry Jamerson...not to mention Latas, Yorke and Leonson...and even Alibey was a threat because u had to be to get all them scoring chances in order to throw them away ! On this team, Beenie come out and say that our attacking threats are Carlos, Yorke and Stern John(i guess he will add latas to that now). And because of Yorke and Edwards missing..the team didn't have that attacking impetus for the Gold Cup. It shows that the coach looking more to individual talent for goals rather than through his instructions. Gally had a team that can win. Beenie have us more organised, but still more dependent on individual brilliance than Gally was.
And Gally team had no noticeable weak link...I say that speaks more for a coach when the team so, although people will argue we don;t have the same talent anymore. But I highly doubt that men like Whitley, Atiba Charles, Anton Pierre and the playing in the PFL are any less talented than Dexter Lee...

[kicker]

I backing Gally all the way because he himself made a valid point... In 1989, we had regular goals from Faustin, Hutson Charles, Marlon Morris, Philbert Jones, Kerry Jamerson...not to mention Latas, Yorke and Leonson...

Not so sure that we had "regular goals" from those guys, but it's true that there was more balance in our goal scoring as opposed to Stern scoring "all" of our goals........

And Gally team had no noticeable weak link...

With Gally our goalkeeping was relatively weak, and our defense was pourous.......

 although people will argue we don;t have the same talent anymore. But I highly doubt that men like Whitley, Atiba Charles, Anton Pierre and the playing in the PFL are any less talented than Dexter Lee...

I think our guys today are "relatively" less talented.......relative to the competition. Whitley and co. are easily more skilled than many of our strike squad players, but relative to the rest of the region, I think they're just decent........The 37 year old Latapy that we have today could run rings around the U.S. team of '89............................today ?? Not too sure...

Most of what you say points to the fact that Gally had a unit and footballing climate that was easier to work with, not that he was necessarily a better coach.

[greenpea]

Bottom line is results....

Analysing what goes into results is pretty hard but consider....

1.After all the resignation from int'l duty everybody and de' compere want to play for TNT...
2.Everybody have to earn de' way into de team.... no free ride.
3.beenie take this side from dead/badly wounded
4.Imagine if this man was a trini --- (still have time to fix dat).

love & respect Gally ... hope he take over de team in the future .... but for now beenie have the upper hand.... win, lose or draw the man approaching legend status fas.... 

[spideybuff]

With Gally our goalkeeping was relatively weak, and our defense was pourous.......

I think Michael Maurice and Earl 'Spiderman'Carter were very competent keepers and the crowd had more confidence in them than in Kelvin Jack and Clayton Ince, until this year.

And the defence was porous? Clayton Morris, Dexter Francis, Brian Williams? Strike Squad did not concede more than two goals in any game, if that much...

But, I backing Gally more because of the Gold Cup than anything.

Seriously, Beenie had 2 good games thus far...home to Mexico and away to Mexico. Against the Guats...Stern save his skin. In Costa Rica...we played decent ball, but we lost and never looked like winning. Same against the US. And the Panama games...the one away, we played poorly(but i accept that the pitch conditions were difficult) and the one at home was the one game we were expected to win regardless of the coach.
After Bahrain we will better be able to judge because he really hasn't had that much time to really do a proper job. He has made us more organised, defending and attacking as a team...but that is in comparison to the past 8-10 years. For some reason i believe in 1989 we were organised as well then, but perhaps I'm just remembering through the innocent eyes of childhood.

[UPRISING]

Much respect due to Gally people, remember the unity we all felt during that WC90 campaign, due in large part to what the coach (Gally) was able to get out of his players...

No comparison necessary ..both good coaches that bring what they bring to the table ..coaching to the best of their abilities ..for the same cause..to get TnT to the WC and to lift the spirits of a nation... best to leave it at that ..Both men deserve their respect..

What next?  Local vs. Foreign?  ..

[Baygo Boy]

It is difficult to say who's better, I am reluctant to even use the word "better".  I beleive that their approach to coaching may be different. However, you must first ask yourself what is a soccer coach's job at this level - is it to develop players or win games?

We know how effective Gally is at developing young players, but we are not sure of Beenie's ability to do the same. However, at this level it about results (all things considered). We must remember that players at this level, and this close in the FIFA ranking have about the same level of skill and ability, so the difference between a win and a lost is found not only in skill, but determination, motivation, passion,  and a coach's leadership ability.  At this level the coach that has the ability to motivate and inspire his team for the better of 90 minutes will most likely win (it does help to have alot of experience, which both possess)

So the answer is: no one is better. However, because of Beenie's experience on a larger stage, and with major European championships under his belt, he has proven that he may have a little more leadership skill than Gally.

Share your thoughts
Later
Baygo Boy

PS: It  has been argued that St. Clair is one of the best coaches in T&T, but what St. Clair is is a Leader, a motivator, someone who knows how to inspire. His successes have proven that. Pound for pound, talent for talent Trinidad always had some of the best young players aroumd, yet Signal Hill for years fielded players that were not as naturally gifted as some of their Trinidad players, but would win nevertheless.

[kicker]

Why is Gally lookin for sec school's coachin' wuk if he's a coach of Beenie's calibre ? Gally must be a real hidden gem boy....

[Ponnoxx]

 I will rate Beenie because he change a side in less than a year....Cummings had his team for longer i think ..Two of T&T's best anyway...Go T&T

[ironman]

I dont mean to be cruel but mentioning the two gentlemen's name in the same sentence is  .
Gally's name is mentioned through emotion thats all Benhak is in another zone that is like the hang up we have with the whole strike squad as a matter a fact,I watch a couple games the other day Strike Squad against Peru and El Salvador and it would idiotic to make any sort of comparison apart from mexico CONCACAF was full of amatuers well drilled and good crowd support as for quality ........look at it this way I would say in the last say 15 yeas CONCACAF has at least improve in quality two fold.
If knock on a  forest cedar three and God forbid to power 10000 infinite  we dont make it to the world cup or when we do it will not be the low point or high point respectively of Benhak's career and the former wont make him any less a coach and the latter no more a coach. Ask Gally his greatest achievement and disappointment anyone here could guess at least one.

[slates]

I hear a bunch of Trini PATRIOTISM talking here. But the truthful answer to the specific question is that Beenie is a much better coach than Gally.

Folks using Beenie's tenure as Trini coach as the balance, Strike Squad vs De Warriors, but to really compare, ask the hypothetical question, how would Gally have fared as coach of Holland or Real?

That said, it is an unfair comparison, as unfair as comparing a mule to a thoroughbred as far as their potential for competing in the Kentucky Derby. The mule doh stand ah chance.

Perhaps, all things being equal, both having developed their football credentials in Holland, or in Trinidad, then there would be grounds for comparison. To compare Gally, as a coach, to Beenie? We might as well argue Trini vs. Holland as a football-talent pool, whether is players or coaches.

No disrespect to Gally meant, but de truth is de trute is de troot!