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Author Topic: The future for T&T national team  (Read 6805 times)

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Offline coache

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #30 on: July 21, 2013, 09:17:02 PM »
I think Hart was talking about Peter Mitchell..

Offline ckhan

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #31 on: July 21, 2013, 09:30:49 PM »
I am looking forward to the boys play again, be it friendly or otherwise. The chemistry was developing from a defensive stance and we were stringing a few, quick passes, spreading the field and using speed. We will need a midfielder with some craft that can change the complexion of a game but I like where we are going as a team.
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Offline Socapro

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #32 on: July 21, 2013, 10:33:04 PM »
Leo Beenhakker Gives His Perspective on T&T's Football Future
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/4SNdc2XKauE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/4SNdc2XKauE</a>

We need Leo here for at least a year and not just 3 months.
Government and Business need to invest some money into paying his salary for at least that length of time.
T&T football needs a proper development structure put in place and someone like Leo can make sure it is done properly so we can develop our young players to competently compete on an international level.
« Last Edit: July 21, 2013, 11:01:28 PM by Socapro »
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Offline Deeks

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #33 on: July 21, 2013, 11:01:20 PM »
I think Hart was talking about Peter Mitchell..

One of the best to ever play in college. Was going good after Tech. Was on the Haiti squad and did well in CAC games 74. After that I don't know what happened. What if Skippy had the opportunity the play abroad like some of these guys? Big if!!!

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #34 on: July 21, 2013, 11:31:40 PM »
Shaka Hislop likes what he saw of T&T at the Gold Cup
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cjUoPr-6ri8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/cjUoPr-6ri8</a>

We need an international standard goal keeping coach. I wonder if Shaka would be interested of if he is indeed qualified in that capacity?
« Last Edit: July 21, 2013, 11:35:48 PM by Socapro »
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Offline Football supporter

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #35 on: July 22, 2013, 12:43:41 AM »
What is a "magical" playmaker? Who said anything about a "magical" playmaker?
What is this "battering ram" theory? That is what you want the rest of us to settle for?

WTF??????

FS, are you serious? There are "8". Count them. "8" teams in the pro cemetery. I find it difficult to believe that you haven't seen all "8" teams in action at some point. Your team included. The only playmakers you could come up with is Cyrus and Power or whoever? Hector, Molino, and whatever? That's it? You mean to tell me there are no young skillfull playmakers in TNT football that can control a game for his team? No wonder why football is in trouble in TnT.
Darren Mitchell is great going forward??????? What does that entail?
You are right. That is not the answer I was looking for.
Come on dude, you could do better than that.


Actually, there are seven, soon to be six unless the applicants meet the leagues criteria. The reason why I can't name your fantasy midfielder is because he doesn't exist in the Pro League. If Messi played in the Pro League from age 16, he wouldn't be the player he is today.
Let's understand something. ProLeague is on a par with English League One at best. In that league, like the Pro League, teams can't play like Barca because there simply isn't enough quality players to play that way. For every quality player we create, Spain create 60 or 70. So a Spanish coach can play total football. ProLeague coaches have to train the flair and expression out of gifted players because it's counter productive. Their aim is not to lose. "Keep possession", continually "pass sideways and backwards", "don't gamble by making runs off the ball","keep shape", "hold up the ball ". These are the Pro League mantras.

Once upon a time, a "super" player would stand out because he was allowed to play his game i.e. Jerron Nixon, but now he is made to conform.

Our problem is that the 14 year old "super midfielder" has nowhere to go to improve his game. Intercol coaches still allow freedom of expression which is why we get school superstars, but put them into the ProLeague and they're lost. By age 20, it's difficult to learn how to play a completely different way.

Football is in trouble in T&T because many millions of $ that should have been spent on development has been stolen or wasted. Now we have to start from scratch. We also have to stop fooling ourselves that we can play like the top 20 or 30 nations. We can't. Just like a house painter can't paint a decent portrait, but he can do very well and surprise people on occasions. Once you accept your limitations you can build on your strengths.

We have to get into the top 70 and move our decent youngsters overseas. Then, maybe, we can play a better system.

At best, T&T are equivalent to Denmark or Austria. The difference is, we have some truly exciting young talent who can't express themselves. If we can work with them and get them overseas to decent clubs, then we may have a chance.

I never said Power and Cyrus were playmakers. But I believe they can play in more forward positions.

Offline royal

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #36 on: July 22, 2013, 06:27:51 AM »
I will like to see 2 teams just like in Gally time. You'll remember Gally used a so call B team which took us all de way to the Shell Cup (Caribbean Cup) finals before he brought in de big guns.Let's be constantly playing assessing de local and young players playing within de Caribbean St Kitts,Barbados,Grenada,Guyana etc.This gives them experience and exposure to the next level.Then on FIFA dates play teams that are rank higher preferable or just around us with our strongest available team.Our first step must be to dominate de Caribbean again including Cuba,Jamaica,Haiti,Martinque etc. 

Offline banton

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #37 on: July 22, 2013, 07:02:24 AM »
start cuttin men from now cause wen gold cup and world cup qualifiers comes around not many can run ah full 90 keep hotye jones hector these fellas is de senoirs keep dem by time de next qualifiers cyrus dem will be seniors
« Last Edit: July 22, 2013, 07:04:57 AM by banton »
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Offline Deeks

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #38 on: July 22, 2013, 08:19:21 PM »
You mean to tell me there are no young skillfull playmakers in TNT football that can control a game for his team? No wonder why football is in trouble in TnT.

Deese, ironically, you answered your own question. Since 2006 we have not  developed any player in the mole of Latapy, Cummings, Mitchell, guys from the Strike Squad etc. In 7 years we have produced zilch!

Offline King Deese

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #39 on: July 25, 2013, 02:34:12 AM »
As Lefty said "Players like Latas are born.....not made"

Back to my original question which was "What up and coming young player in TnT fits the mold of a playmaker?" That player, FS, is not a fantasy playmaker, he is a real baller plying his trade in the Super League and all the other football leagues in TnT, including the Pro Cemetery. Yes, we are all aware that football in TnT is in trouble because of a whole host of reasons not the least of which stems from the lack of anything that resembles a development structure, not to mention the millions that were siphoned that was meant for the game and the feeble minded people who ran the Association and the game into chaos. Yes, TNT's game has more holes than Swiss cheese and it maybe a long time before we catch up to the rest of the world or it may happen a little faster than you or I can fathom, but start over we must if the game is to mean anything to us as a nation.
Look around you, FS, and you will see teams popping up everywhere with new and exciting young ballers chumping at the bits to replace the dying breed on the national team so they can show the nation and the world what they can do. Attend some of those games if you will, and you too may realize that that playmaker I am inquiring about does exist. You speak of the 14 year old " super midfielder" who doesn't end up in a better league, with nowhere to go, as if all of them do, save but a few who end up in a league outside of TnT by age 20 having to learn a new way of playing the game. Don't you realize, FS, that any league outside of TnT represents a new way of playing the game and those 20 year olds will have to adjust and adapt to that style or get sent back home? That is what football intelligence is all about.

Deeks, that 7 year stretch from 2006 - to present day resembles a f#&king train wreck, the likes of which we will never forget nor do we ever want to see happen again. That period gave birth to chaos, sorrow, and a level of fraud, perpetrated by those WHO were supposed to champion the game, the likes of which this country has never seen. It was a heist to rival the great bank robbery.
As you so eloquently put it, nothing was developed, not even a blade of grass, contrary to what Jack Warner would have us believe. The barren land that manifested, gave rise to disappointments and solitude to all that witnessed what was unfolding out on the surface, it was plain to see that the game was teetering on the brink of death under the force of  the millions that vanished into thin air. Millions that was meant to develop the game. But you know what, as sure as the sun rises in the East and brings the light of a new day, a hopeful young man with a soccer ball at his feet, strikes that ball towards a make shift goal, pretending to have just scored on the best goalkeeper in the world, he juggles the ball over and over, until it becomes second nature to him, he controls the ball from a running start between cones, all under the watchful eyes of his father, or mother,  or big brother, a teacher, a mentor.
He does not gain his power from any development programme implemented by the TTFF, because there is none. His strength and determination to succeed, comes from within. Despite the 7 years of nothingness and ineptitude on behalf of the TTFF, this kid grows and somehow his game grows and radiates for all around to see. That strength comes from a dream of playing pro ball, someday, somewhere. His beliefs are deeply rooted in the love and laughter of those who love him and believe in him. No other ball player shines like him and yet so few in the know can see him for his full worth. He shines in the Super League and all the other minor leagues around and fans are attracted by his elegance and skills and flock to see him play. He is in every Duane Muckette, Christopher Morgan, Ryan Stewart, Matthew Woo Ling, Nathaniel Garcia, Marcus Gomez, Anselm Jackson, Jomal Williams, Anthony Parris, and all the other exciting playmakers, unknown to us, in TnT.
So, the rains will fall again, Deeks and FS, and shower the land and somehow there will be a new hope for tomorrow. This playmaker will never be a Latas, Cummings, Archibald, Spanner, or Dilly, but he will be the best he can be. He will be himself. He may not make it to another system outside of here but maybe he will realize his place is here, where he can bring life to this dead ass game and joy to its' long suffering fans.
« Last Edit: July 25, 2013, 02:45:29 AM by King Deese »
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Offline futbolfan

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #40 on: July 25, 2013, 04:50:43 AM »
What is a "magical" playmaker? Who said anything about a "magical" playmaker?
What is this "battering ram" theory? That is what you want the rest of us to settle for?

WTF??????

FS, are you serious? There are "8". Count them. "8" teams in the pro cemetery. I find it difficult to believe that you haven't seen all "8" teams in action at some point. Your team included. The only playmakers you could come up with is Cyrus and Power or whoever? Hector, Molino, and whatever? That's it? You mean to tell me there are no young skillfull playmakers in TNT football that can control a game for his team? No wonder why football is in trouble in TnT.
Darren Mitchell is great going forward??????? What does that entail?
You are right. That is not the answer I was looking for.
Come on dude, you could do better than that.


Actually, there are seven, soon to be six unless the applicants meet the leagues criteria. The reason why I can't name your fantasy midfielder is because he doesn't exist in the Pro League. If Messi played in the Pro League from age 16, he wouldn't be the player he is today.
Let's understand something. ProLeague is on a par with English League One at best. In that league, like the Pro League, teams can't play like Barca because there simply isn't enough quality players to play that way. For every quality player we create, Spain create 60 or 70. So a Spanish coach can play total football. ProLeague coaches have to train the flair and expression out of gifted players because it's counter productive. Their aim is not to lose. "Keep possession", continually "pass sideways and backwards", "don't gamble by making runs off the ball","keep shape", "hold up the ball ". These are the Pro League mantras.

Once upon a time, a "super" player would stand out because he was allowed to play his game i.e. Jerron Nixon, but now he is made to conform.

Our problem is that the 14 year old "super midfielder" has nowhere to go to improve his game. Intercol coaches still allow freedom of expression which is why we get school superstars, but put them into the ProLeague and they're lost. By age 20, it's difficult to learn how to play a completely different way.

Football is in trouble in T&T because many millions of $ that should have been spent on development has been stolen or wasted. Now we have to start from scratch. We also have to stop fooling ourselves that we can play like the top 20 or 30 nations. We can't. Just like a house painter can't paint a decent portrait, but he can do very well and surprise people on occasions. Once you accept your limitations you can build on your strengths.

We have to get into the top 70 and move our decent youngsters overseas. Then, maybe, we can play a better system.

At best, T&T are equivalent to Denmark or Austria. The difference is, we have some truly exciting young talent who can't express themselves. If we can work with them and get them overseas to decent clubs, then we may have a chance.

I never said Power and Cyrus were playmakers. But I believe they can play in more forward positions.

I hate to agree with these comments, but this is the reality that many people cannot grasp or fail to come to terms with.
It will take some time for us to get back some respectability, but with a new administration in place and support from all parties involved I believe that it can be achieved.
The darkest hour is just before the dawn.

Offline Football supporter

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #41 on: July 25, 2013, 05:26:11 AM »
Deese, the potential is there, the raw material is there in abundance. I see it every day. My point is that nobody is interested in material that raw overseas.

Even a club like Walsall has more options that it can service and therefore demands high standards. To win one of the 20-odd places in their academy each year you have to be better than the other two or three thousand potentials. Talent and ability are important, but at that point, they start to look at personality, attitude, discipline and the ability to be a team player.

This is where our players fail. Our 16 year olds won't cope unless they are properly prepared. Remember in "Being Liverpool" Sterling arrived from Jamaica and the first day at training Rodgers told him he'd be back home on a plane if he didn't change his attitude?

It's a lot harder than 20 years ago for older players to get out. Some of the smaller Scottish clubs are only paying £200 per week. That can be earned in the ProLeague. Places like India, Vietnam etc have developmental leagues earning big money but the football is poor. Remember the NASL?

We can develop talent if we have a plan. Just jumping on a plane will not suffice. And one major change that needs to take place is that supporters here have to learn to support. Deese, you kept referring to the Pro League cemetery. Why? The football's not bad and the league will get stronger as more Super league teams come through.

It all starts with positive attitudes from the public. How can players view football as a career? How can kids aspire to the Pro League? How can sponsors invest the money needed when people just diss the league without giving it a chance?

No one said the Pro League is perfect. But it's all we have. And it's the only developmental option in T&T.

Offline coache

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #42 on: July 25, 2013, 10:35:32 PM »
Something tells me that Jack owns de Pro League ? Somehow the govt subsidizing the thing but the subsides going through Jack first.
Is it a conspiracy theory?

Offline Football supporter

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #43 on: July 25, 2013, 11:32:30 PM »
Something tells me that Jack owns de Pro League ? Somehow the govt subsidizing the thing but the subsides going through Jack first.
Is it a conspiracy theory?

I'm not sure what you're alleging here Coache or if you're just being funny. The subvention is paid directly to clubs by Ministry of Sport. Sadly, it's not paid to the Pro League to share out, hence why Central receive no govt pennies.

Offline King Deese

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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #44 on: July 26, 2013, 12:57:40 AM »
Talent and ability are important, but at that point, they start to look at personality, attitude, discipline and the ability to be a team player.

Deese, you kept referring to the Pro League cemetery. Why? The football's not bad and the league will get stronger as more Super league teams come through.
FS, I totally agree with the statement above. Take Joevin Jones, for instance. He goes to tryout at Toronto FC and within a matter of days he is back in Trinidad without a contract because he couldn't make the cut for whatever reason. Now, you gotta say to yourself , what is wrong with this picture. Here is a kid who is obviously very talented and he cannot make the team. Hmmmm......Maybe, his attitude is poor, his work rate rotten, and his personality just doesn't fit the player profile Toronto was looking for. Had he been selected, he would have filled a small DP slot the organization was looking to fill. Sadly, there are more stories like his.
Why do I refer to it as the Pro Cemetery? - The league was established 14 years ago as a  means to strengthen the country's national team and improve the development of its domestic players. It is currently ranked 109th in the world, 10th in CONCACAF, only better than 3 other leagues in the region. Upon creation, the league's first goal was to establish better crowd attendances for its matches.  Skeene and his administration have failed miserably in those endeavours. I am fully aware of the problems associated with the stadiums being owned by the government and the lack of gate receipt, but you would think that after 14 years they would have come up with a plan to be self sufficient. A total of 21 distinct clubs have played in the pro league from it's inception in 1999, today, only 7. It's probably the only league in the world that adheres to the concept of expansion by contraction and brags that the league is growing. Foolishness. It's been a burial ground for many clubs. As for the players and the game, you yourself FS, admitted there is a pro league mantra that kills the flair and expression of the players that are skillful and dynamic, it's a burial ground littered with games void of exciting ebb and flow to keep the fan on the edge of their seats. It is a place where coaches play not to lose instead of playing to win. That's the kind of tactical brain dead scheme that has killed the game and the artistry of the playmakers. I could go on and on, but nah. By the way, the MLS has been in existence for 15 years. They are ranked 10th in the world.
« Last Edit: July 26, 2013, 01:13:34 AM by King Deese »
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Re: The future for T&T national team
« Reply #45 on: July 26, 2013, 06:14:07 AM »
Deese, much of what you said is true.

But since 2007, I have been trying to think of ways to improve the Pro League without success. Yes, if we had the billions of dollars that the MLS have had, it may improve. The reason I say "may" is because the product isn't bad.

The problem, as I see it, is that the Trini culture does not seem to lend itself to blind adoration and consistent support.

We make far too many excuses for the "supporter".

Yes, the stadiums are poorly located, but if you really want to go, you can get there. They're not in the bush!

The climate is great for watching evening football.

We give out free tickets to kids so their parents can bring them to games, except the parents won't spend time with their sons. u16 games and below in USA and Europe are populated by parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, friends etc. Soccermum is an American invention! People support their kids. Not here. We're lucky to get 3 or 4 parents along.

Even at Pro League games, where are the players parents, family and friends? I can't understand why the players are not supported by their loved ones??

Media and TV are very anti local football. If they promoted Pro League the way they promote Champions League and PFL, things would improve. I can't believe there is no weekly Pro League highlight show. How are kids supposed to be exposed to Pro League?

The govt doesn't care. In other nations they recognise the social and financial benefits of professional football and get behind it. UK has an all party parliamentary football committee. Hoops of Life cost over $20 million. Why doesn't Pro League receive $30-$40 million per year with oversight from TTFA? We have teams pulling out of the CFU tournament because they can't afford to travel.

Warner and TTFF gave no support to Pro League. There has been no united front on tackling these problems.

Corporate Trinidad sucks when it comes to football. They give a few crumbs to get rid of you. If you're lucky, they'll give you product which you have to try to turn into cash. You can't pay players in Beer and water. I've had teams in cup finals and can't get sponsors to even attend the match let alone do some promotion. The only sponsors who actually support their club is Directv. They were fantastic, organising employees to attend games, giving out noisemakers etc.

Given all of the above, players feel almost embarrassed to say they play in the Pro League. I could not believe that extremely gifted 18 year old footballers would prefer to play school football rather than Pro League. At first I thought it was educational reasons. Then I realised these kids can barely read and don't attend classes. But they're heroes in school.

Who's advising these kids? While most kids in UK want to play in the EPL, they would move home in a flash if they got a contract with Plymouth Argyle or Raith Rovers.

In the past I've criticized Skeene and the Pro League. Going into my fourth year working in the league I can see that most of the leagues failings are due to the social attitude of T&T. Skeene does the best he can with pitiful resources and an uninterested, uninspired public.  I really don't know how to raise passion in supporters. As they say, you've got to want to change and the way I see it, most Trini supporters prefer to be negative and seem to thrive on complaining instead of doing something about it.

It's not unfixable, but without the resources it's difficult. The one great hope is that every year, kids are really enthusiastic. If we can capture and build upon that enthusiasm, we may be able to retain them as adult supporters. And also the new TTFA could bring help. Sheldon Phillips understands the commercial aspect of football, so maybe he can work closer with Skeene?

And much of the success of MLS was due to the generation of kids who saw NASL and aspired to be footballers. There was a demand for a new national league despite the previous failure and lessons learned have allowed a better product.

Maybe it's time that the Pro League followed TTFA and rebranded?

Sorry for the rant ....I hate mornings!!
« Last Edit: July 26, 2013, 06:18:22 AM by Football supporter »

 

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