In 2 years we will be a top team.... IF !!

[Sam]

In 2 years we will be a top team.

If !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the TTFA step things up and be consistent.

Big respect to them for getting two quality games, but we cannot be inactive for 7 months and expect to be a top team.

I know money is a issue, but once T&T and the TTFA is consistent sponsors will come, we have to sell our brand and its important for the team to play good as well.

You know what I really like about Stephen Hart. He eh fraid to make changes even if he have to take out the captain or his big name player because he's not performing.

When you watching a game live and seeing a player not having a good game and was taken off it shows that the coach is paying close attention also.

For example, he seeing the things you seeing in de case with Mitchell and Jones vs Argentina, two of our experience players on the team was taken off.

Imagine we have not played a game in 7 months and the team was not great but still did a decent job vs a top five team in the world. And I eh getting carried away, because I know Argentina probably didn't play to their best, but still we did good against some of the best players in Europe, Real Madrid, Man City, Barcelona vs Central FC and Cardiff.

We have to keep this bunch together and play a game every month, maybe two,,,, and in two years we killing top teams in Concacaf.

I respect Jamaica (for now), they are broke (like us) and we have beaten them twice a few months ago and they are rank under us and still they manage to get top quality opponents, asked allyuh self how?

Sheldon Phillips is strong in these areas hopefully he will work some magic for us and we could play more games even if its not big teams, but consistently.

I eh want to jump on de bandwaggon as yet, because as I said I would like to see consistency from de TTFA, I prefer play 12 ordinary teams a year than one great one every 7 months.

Some things I want to see change from T&T is.

1. Playing more organise football and they already start doing this.

2. Implement a 4-4-2 system, we have to stop playing de one target striker system if we cannot play a system or have the players to support it. For example, a Rundell/Kenwyne combo is great and because they have different styles they will work good off each other.

3. A little bird told me that Fuentes giving the SWO a hard time to get press passes and its not the first time, I feel the TTFA really need to look into this. De man want all the fame and glory and should get shake up or shake down, we cant have one man knowing everything, he here to long and abusing he power. I cant see why de two cant work together, when we were playing Grenada they was giving away passes like Bata shoes.

4. De TTFA to get serious about being more self sufficient, we cant have coaches and players begging every month for salaries, this affect everything and everyone. They reply on de government for EVERYTHING !!!!!! and now Anil "marajuana" Roberts might go, so who balls they go have to grease now? Throw some fete man, Trinis love to party, they bound to get money, they have to invest to make, they cant run a federation on hope and pope. Sheldon cant be de Secetary, de marketer, de spokesman, de president, etc etc... they could hire some help for reasonable.

5. Stephen Hart had 7 months of being inactive (as a coach or training) since our last game vs Jamaica (not his fault), I want to see him open his scouting programs local and aboard and get some advance individual training also. At this level, you cant learn enough. He is in Brazil right now with de team, the TTFA should approach they friend Iran coach Carlos Queiroz and asked him if Hart coach join his staff for the duration of the world cup just to get the experience.

6. Get a foreign base Trini on de assistant staff (maybe Edwards, Yorke or Stern).

7. De TTFA need to be more respectable to their fans, they only treat us good when they need us.

8. Our movement off the ball, making ourselves available for a pass or to take a shot and de transition from attack to defend or defend to attack is slow and really need some work.

9. Have a local team train or play games every single month. We need a B team.

Some young local players who should be in a training program for T&T.

Zane Coker

Jesus Perez

Omar Charles

Shannon Gomez

Alvin Jones

Jean-Luc Rochford

Nicholas Dillon

Leston Paul

Jayson Joseph

Brent Sam

Dwight Quintero

Some young US players who should be in a training program for T&T.

Johan Welch

Uriah Bentick

Dwight Ceballo

Nicholas Walker

Josh Burnett

Damani Richards

Andre Fortune

Duane Muckette

Cordell Cato

Chaz Burnett

Nick De Leon

We have enough time to make a big splash next qualifiers I hope de TTFA get serious and get things running, this stop and go shit will kill our football and we will get stick looking for quick fix all we does always do.

Imagine, de TTFA send de tassa and pan groups to Argentina and forget part of de coaching staff in Trinidad and only told them they going Argentina two days before de game. That is a ole Jack Warner curse.

[spideybuff]

IF...Kenwyne retire and we get a real striker.

[spideybuff]

IF...we import a goalkeeper...these two making mistakes and being flat footed about a decade now and don't seem to be improving.

[asylumseeker]

Lots of good stuff in there Sam ...

[Errol]

In 2 years we will be a top team.

If !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the TTFA step things up and be consistent.

Big respect to them for getting two quality games, but we cannot be inactive for 7 months and expect to be a top team.

I know money is a issue, but once T&T and the TTFA is consistent sponsors will come, we have to sell our brand and its important for the team to play good as well.

You know what I really like about Stephen Hart. He eh fraid to make changes even if he have to take out the captain or his big name player because he's not performing.

When you watching a game live and seeing a player not having a good game and was taken off it shows that the coach is paying close attention also.

For example, he seeing the things you seeing in de case with Mitchell and Jones vs Argentina, two of our experience players on the team was taken off.

Imagine we have not played a game in 7 months and the team was not great but still did a decent job vs a top five team in the world. And I eh getting carried away, because I know Argentina probably didn't play to their best, but still we did good against some of the best players in Europe, Real Madrid, Man City, Barcelona vs Central FC and Cardiff.

We have to keep this bunch together and play a game every month, maybe two,,,, and in two years we killing top teams in Concacaf.

I respect Jamaica (for now), they are broke (like us) and we have beaten them twice a few months ago and they are rank under us and still they manage to get top quality opponents, asked allyuh self how?

Sheldon Phillips is strong in these areas hopefully he will work some magic for us and we could play more games even if its not big teams, but consistently.

I eh want to jump on de bandwaggon as yet, because as I said I would like to see consistency from de TTFA, I prefer play 12 ordinary teams a year than one great one every 7 months.

Some things I want to see change from T&T is.

1. Playing more organise football and they already start doing this.

2. Implement a 4-4-2 system, we have to stop playing de one target striker system if we cannot play a system or have the players to support it. For example, a Rundell/Kenwyne combo is great and because they have different styles they will work good off each other.

3. A little bird told me that Fuentes giving the SWO a hard time to get press passes and its not the first time, I feel the TTFA really need to look into this. De man want all the fame and glory and should get shake up or shake down, we cant have one man knowing everything, he here to long and abusing he power. I cant see why de two cant work together, when we were playing Grenada they was giving away passes like Bata shoes.

4. De TTFA to get serious about being more self sufficient, we cant have coaches and players begging every month for salaries, this affect everything and everyone. They reply on de government for EVERYTHING !!!!!! and now Anil "marajuana" Roberts might go, so who balls they go have to grease now? Throw some fete man, Trinis love to party, they bound to get money, they have to invest to make, they cant run a federation on hope and pope. Sheldon cant be de Secetary, de marketer, de spokesman, de president, etc etc... they could hire some help for reasonable.

5. Stephen Hart had 7 months of being inactive (as a coach or training) since our last game vs Jamaica (not his fault), I want to see him open his scouting programs local and aboard and get some advance individual training also. At this level, you cant learn enough. He is in Brazil right now with de team, the TTFA should approach they friend Iran coach Carlos Queiroz and asked him if Hart coach join his staff for the duration of the world cup just to get the experience.

6. Get a foreign base Trini on de assistant staff (maybe Edwards, Yorke or Stern).

7. De TTFA need to be more respectable to their fans, they only treat us good when they need us.

8. Our movement off the ball, making ourselves available for a pass or to take a shot and de transition from attack to defend or defend to attack is slow and really need some work.

9. Have a local team train or play games every single month. We need a B team.

Some young local players who should be in a training program for T&T.

Zane Coker

Jesus Perez

Omar Charles

Shannon Gomez

Alvin Jones

Jean-Luc Rochford

Nicholas Dillon

Leston Paul

Jayson Joseph

Brent Sam

Dwight Quintero

Some young US players who should be in a training program for T&T.

Johan Welch

Uriah Bentick

Dwight Ceballo

Nicholas Walker

Josh Burnett

Damani Richards

Andre Fortune

Duane Muckette

Cordell Cato

Chaz Burnett

Nick De Leon

We have enough time to make a big splash next qualifiers I hope de TTFA get serious and get things running, this stop and go shit will kill our football and we will get stick looking for quick fix all we does always do.

Imagine, de TTFA send de tassa and pan groups to Argentina and forget part of de coaching staff in Trinidad and only told them they going Argentina two days before de game. That is a ole Jack Warner curse.

Very good points Sam, particularly number 5. Number 2 is very interesting. Infact, all is good points.

[Trini _2026]

IF...Kenwyne retire and we get a real striker.

yup we need a real striker up front

[Banter Banton]

Sam, Ministry of Tourism sent their culture contingent which included the Tasa and Rhythm Section. You think anyone from the TTFA thought it a good idea to bump 2 members off the technical staff lol?

[Trini]

Good stuff Sam. Like point 5.

So lemme put a different spin on it.

What are our expectations as a nation? Given our history, level of public support, talent etc..? Do we expect to qualify for every WC, go to Buenos Aires and run a top team to the ends? Or do we hope to make it to WCQ semis and get past Bermuda and Guyana? Do we expect to play top level opposition every FIFA date? Do we expect to solve the financial woes and actually spend money behind the team to truly develop?

So some things that perhaps we never come out and say directly, because they may be closer to the thruth even if they may upset people:

1) Money. Money. Money. Unless we solve the financial woes, and men in power from Govt to the administrators shed the panties they wearing and dish the egos they have, we will  never reach our true potential. It all comes down to the will of the administrators. It has become too personal, classic crab in a barrel mentality, of a young, ex-colonial population. Lets face it, if we dont have the money to spend behind the team, we will not succeed. Its like everything else in life. You cant expect to bring a Cortina to race a Lambo and expect to win.

At that point you rely on hope rather than expectation, which is what T&T football has been since ~ 2008. As it stands, we have a coach who we can afford, not one who we want. Its a very big difference. every single day of preparation, its the little things that add up over years that results in a team being 1-2% better than another. You can expect to compete with a country like the US who spend >100m USD on their team a year to develop when we fighting for pennies from the Govt and cant even find certain historical accounts. It just doesnt work like that. No matter your perception of your national talent.

If we dont have money behind the team, we will never reach a higher level.

2) I see plenty men on here talking about how its all mainly down to mental attitude that you win games. While thats very important, it isnt the main thing. People who say that have not played competitive team sports against very superior opposition. And lets face it, Argentina is a few classes above us , player for player. No shame in that, just how it is.

You put this same Trini team against Anguilla, I guarantee you that we will look like a clone of Argentina. You could have all the fight in your head and positive energy, when you play against a superior team who make you play out of your comfort zone and stretch you like spandex over and over again, all that fight in your hear begins to sap away and it becomes survival. Mental is important,  but perhaps moreso against more similarly matched opponents.

3) Lets benchmark our nation as a soccer team. In my opinion I truly believe we are the 5th best team in CONCACAF.
And to me thats realistic. Sometimes its good to take stock of the reality in an unbiased way so you plan a sustainable improvement program. There should be a sub-project in place by the men who have the know how to figure out how do we compete with and take points off from Costa Rica and Honduras. The USA and Mexico are another level up, somewhere in between these previous 2 countries and the Argentina we faced Wednesday. So we can defer them to another time. But as the 5th best team in the region, what are our expectations?

The reason we made germany 2006 was a combination of factors that came together at the right time - Latapy coming back to inspire Dwight and the team, we got a top level coach, Stern going on a little run, getting Bahrain instead of a south american team, and obviously some luck along the way. If we have to depend on another lining up of similar elements, we looking at 2022WC, cause it seem we do well in 16 year spurts (1974, 1990, 2006..). thats the reality, we are an ephemeral football nation. And I truly believe the way to get to the level of beating CR and Honduras is, as Sam says - we play more consistently.

4) The players - at the end of the day it always comes down to your quality of players. The best thing in our team is a part-time striker for the team that came last in the Premiership. And we playing a team with players that play EVERY SINGLE DAY with Neymar, CR7, David Silva, Zlatan etc etc. Every single day that these fellas spend time in that environment, it adds up over time and adds to their quality.

Can you imagine how frightening it is to prepare as a coach to face Messi? So imagine the players who are tasked with covering him. There is no way to say it but he is beyond human, he does what he wants, when he wants against anybody and any team on the planet. And to be honest...My Warriors didnt make him look like such a superhuman... Lets face it, we had a golden generation in the 90's and early 2000's, this group however is not as talented YET. Nobody on this team is in the class of Jerren Nixon. And once your quality stock dips, you rely more on the structure and coach etc. Which takes us back to argument 1.

Dont berate Jan Michael, he is the best of what we have. There was a time I would turn on the tv and watch Dwight Yorke vs Shaka Hislop as the 2 standout players in a head to head Premiership game at Old Trafford. It always comes down to the players. For a small country like ours, it will always go in cycles. The flipside to that though is that between 2005-2010 we went to 2 separate youth WC's, so we should have a stock to draw from to be competitive at this time...

5) Our mentality - lets be fair here, we do not have a combative mentality in T&T. Men crying down Guerra for bowing to Messi, this is simply who we are as a people. Instead of bashing Guerra, we should bash the general public who know more about the Champions League draw than the national team itinerary. Or men who go stadium and watch you hard when you boo the opposition. Or the masses who support Beckham over their own Soca Warriors when they played head to head. If even only for passion and intensity, we do not deserve to be going any WC in front many teams in the region, even teams that we are better than (Panama, El Salvador, Jamaica).

I can assure you every single team from the semi final rounds onward look at Port of Spain as one of the best places to pick up away points. And this is sad, cause I remember a time in the late 80's and early 90's when it was just the opposite... Guerra know more about football than anyone on this forum, or journalists who write on the topic. If he can show that level of respect to a peer, I am pretty sure Messi was honoured by it. Personally i would not have done it in that setting, but I see nothing wrong with it.

---

We just need to be playing more consistently..Things will start to fall into place slowly. I remember in 1989, it seem like every week we were playing a different team, teams from South America, England, all Russia or some ex soviet teams was coming down...and it helped.
Because we do not play consistently, we do not have a philosophy on how to play.

If a team pull 11 players behind the ball against us, how do we cope? Are we just a team to defend deep and hit forward and hope that our olympic pedigree speed will make something out of nothing? Playing consistently at a high level improves football intelligence and decision making. The PFL cant equip us to do this, as much as I didnt like beenhakker's arrogant attitude, he was right about this. Same thing Klinsmann says about MLS...
I hope we get some more games before the Carib Cup..

[Tiresais]

Agree with all said on this thread, except 4-4-2 - we need two DM's against the quality teams in teh world and Boucaud and Hyland are excellent at that. With two dm's (or defensive CM's) you start creating holes between the attack and midfield. The balance of AM/SS is probably a good shout, although our best asset is strikers and it'd be good to think of a better way to integrate them.

I'm a big 4-5-1/4-3-3 fan myself, we have Peltier as an excellent option on the right and if we had another excellent winger we'd perform very well.

[kounty]

I hear what you saying Trini, but I not so damp as you.
I think we all realize that our players need to get into better leagues and on better teams, but that is intertwined with having more consistent national team outings against good opposition (marketing). The consistency and better performance (against good opposition) are intertwined with crowd turnout (generation of money). A lot of money flowing in T&T, and the people are waiting on a band wagon to throw their money behind..it will take some work and consistency. Jack cash in in 2006, I believe we can get to a slightly better level for next WC and if we keep it on an upward trend after that we could then start talking about a) consistently making the WC and then b) doing something in the region and even at the cup.

[asylumseeker]

Agree with all said on this thread, except 4-4-2 - we need two DM's against the quality teams in teh world and Boucaud and Hyland are excellent at that. With two dm's (or defensive CM's) you start creating holes between the attack and midfield. The balance of AM/SS is probably a good shout, although our best asset is strikers and it'd be good to think of a better way to integrate them.

I'm a big 4-5-1/4-3-3 fan myself, we have Peltier as an excellent option on the right and if we had another excellent winger we'd perform very well.

My view on this is well-documented. Ah didn't want to comment on this out of deference, but since yuh raise it ... I don't disagree. Our lines were not cohesive and playing 4-4-2 requires an almost inflexible sort of cohesiveness. Both vertically and horizontally we had obvious problems.

Moreover, even accounting for the speed at which a team like ARG executes ... we provided little to no resistance wih respect to counter-attacking play. I thought this was a deficiency.

Once ARG got the ball between the "two banks of four", we had issues. I use inverted commas because there at times were not two banks of four, but rather "four banks of two" (or tending to that) ... a couple of which were not engaged in supporting or covering action.

Ah will have to watch the game again more critically. That stated, there's no way we could have played 4-3-3.

[Tiresais]

Agree with all said on this thread, except 4-4-2 - we need two DM's against the quality teams in teh world and Boucaud and Hyland are excellent at that. With two dm's (or defensive CM's) you start creating holes between the attack and midfield. The balance of AM/SS is probably a good shout, although our best asset is strikers and it'd be good to think of a better way to integrate them.

I'm a big 4-5-1/4-3-3 fan myself, we have Peltier as an excellent option on the right and if we had another excellent winger we'd perform very well.

My view on this is well-documented. Ah didn't want to comment on this out of deference, but since yuh raise it ... I don't disagree. Our lines were not cohesive and playing 4-4-2 requires an almost inflexible sort of cohesiveness. Both vertically and horizontally we had obvious problems.

Moreover, even accounting for the speed at which a team like ARG executes ... we provided little to no resistance wih respect to counter-attacking play. I thought this was a deficiency.

Once ARG got the ball between the "two banks of four", we had issues. I use inverted commas because there at times were not two banks of four, but rather "four banks of two" (or tending to that) ... a couple of which were not engaged in supporting or covering action.

Ah will have to watch the game again more critically. That stated, there's no way we could have played 4-3-3.

4-5-1 defensively, 4-3-3 in attack is my favourite you need pace on the wings so they can get back into position (whereas, say, dribbling skill alone might be enough to beat a man). However, that works best with overlapping fullbacks, and that might also be a problem

[asylumseeker]

At the end of the day, yuh have to apply players to a system ... not a system to players. One is a round hole with round pegs ... the second is square pegs to a round hole. The coach is in frequent observation of his charges. I trust he made his decisions based on that. Yuh could see what SH was seeking to achieve ... dahis MUCH more than can be said for some of his predecessors.

[Tiresais]

At the end of the day, yuh have to apply players to a system ... not a system to players. One is a round hole with round pegs ... the second is square pegs to a round hole. The coach is in frequent observation of his charges. I trust he made his decisions based on that. Yuh could see what SH was seeking to achieve ... dahis MUCH more than can be said for some of his predecessors.

Agreed. System v players is an interesting question though. I've always been of the mind of having a clear system and picking the players appropriate, even if those players aren't the best ones you have. I think that with T&T, with a number of stand-out players, the system based on the players available looks the best way.

[Big Magician]

Good points Sam and others

the big fact is..Until we set up our national Elite academy run by a "world class' youth developent coaching director...it is going to be very very difficult...even after we do it will still be difficult...but we have to do this very soon...
let intercol be intercol...all dem coaches does talk about is " ah beat he pleanty times"..meaning other coaches...and also PLF youth teams...thats all the coaches on..self praise...but hear what ...where are the quality youth players ??

[Big Magician]

and ah gald Hart mentioned it in his post match comments...that the youths need this exposure from early...it should have been like at least the second time that half that team played argentina..in a youth match before..

[supporter]

Good post. In end, what we need is for our players to be playing good competition week in and week out. Full stop. Finland and Vietnam leagues can only take you so far. I remember when we had numerous players playing in the English divisions/MLS. We also need for the Pro league to continue to stregthen, and for youth/reserve teams to become a key part of Pro League setup. Otherwise, its just treading water

[Deeks]

I respect Jamaica (for now), they are broke (like us)

JA is not as broke as they may want you or us to believe. But yes, they use brand Jamaica quite effectively to get top teams to play them. This something TT have to do. If we cannot get national teams, then try some of the clubs that go on tours. We used to get a lot of English clubs long ago. It was helpful then. But our national team definitely need more frequent games. The gaps are to large to foster any kind of continuity.

[Sando]

In 2 years we will be a top team.

If !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the TTFA step things up and be consistent.

Big respect to them for getting two quality games, but we cannot be inactive for 7 months and expect to be a top team.

I know money is a issue, but once T&T and the TTFA is consistent sponsors will come, we have to sell our brand and its important for the team to play good as well.

You know what I really like about Stephen Hart. He eh fraid to make changes even if he have to take out the captain or his big name player because he's not performing.

When you watching a game live and seeing a player not having a good game and was taken off it shows that the coach is paying close attention also.

For example, he seeing the things you seeing in de case with Mitchell and Jones vs Argentina, two of our experience players on the team was taken off.

Imagine we have not played a game in 7 months and the team was not great but still did a decent job vs a top five team in the world. And I eh getting carried away, because I know Argentina probably didn't play to their best, but still we did good against some of the best players in Europe, Real Madrid, Man City, Barcelona vs Central FC and Cardiff.

We have to keep this bunch together and play a game every month, maybe two,,,, and in two years we killing top teams in Concacaf.

I respect Jamaica (for now), they are broke (like us) and we have beaten them twice a few months ago and they are rank under us and still they manage to get top quality opponents, asked allyuh self how?

Sheldon Phillips is strong in these areas hopefully he will work some magic for us and we could play more games even if its not big teams, but consistently.

I eh want to jump on de bandwaggon as yet, because as I said I would like to see consistency from de TTFA, I prefer play 12 ordinary teams a year than one great one every 7 months.

Some things I want to see change from T&T is.

1. Playing more organise football and they already start doing this.

2. Implement a 4-4-2 system, we have to stop playing de one target striker system if we cannot play a system or have the players to support it. For example, a Rundell/Kenwyne combo is great and because they have different styles they will work good off each other.

3. A little bird told me that Fuentes giving the SWO a hard time to get press passes and its not the first time, I feel the TTFA really need to look into this. De man want all the fame and glory and should get shake up or shake down, we cant have one man knowing everything, he here to long and abusing he power. I cant see why de two cant work together, when we were playing Grenada they was giving away passes like Bata shoes.

4. De TTFA to get serious about being more self sufficient, we cant have coaches and players begging every month for salaries, this affect everything and everyone. They reply on de government for EVERYTHING !!!!!! and now Anil "marajuana" Roberts might go, so who balls they go have to grease now? Throw some fete man, Trinis love to party, they bound to get money, they have to invest to make, they cant run a federation on hope and pope. Sheldon cant be de Secetary, de marketer, de spokesman, de president, etc etc... they could hire some help for reasonable.

5. Stephen Hart had 7 months of being inactive (as a coach or training) since our last game vs Jamaica (not his fault), I want to see him open his scouting programs local and aboard and get some advance individual training also. At this level, you cant learn enough. He is in Brazil right now with de team, the TTFA should approach they friend Iran coach Carlos Queiroz and asked him if Hart coach join his staff for the duration of the world cup just to get the experience.

6. Get a foreign base Trini on de assistant staff (maybe Edwards, Yorke or Stern).

7. De TTFA need to be more respectable to their fans, they only treat us good when they need us.

8. Our movement off the ball, making ourselves available for a pass or to take a shot and de transition from attack to defend or defend to attack is slow and really need some work.

9. Have a local team train or play games every single month. We need a B team.

Some young local players who should be in a training program for T&T.

Zane Coker

Jesus Perez

Omar Charles

Shannon Gomez

Alvin Jones

Jean-Luc Rochford

Nicholas Dillon

Leston Paul

Jayson Joseph

Brent Sam

Dwight Quintero

Some young US players who should be in a training program for T&T.

Johan Welch

Uriah Bentick

Dwight Ceballo

Nicholas Walker

Josh Burnett

Damani Richards

Andre Fortune

Duane Muckette

Cordell Cato

Chaz Burnett

Nick De Leon

We have enough time to make a big splash next qualifiers I hope de TTFA get serious and get things running, this stop and go shit will kill our football and we will get stick looking for quick fix all we does always do.

Imagine, de TTFA send de tassa and pan groups to Argentina and forget part of de coaching staff in Trinidad and only told them they going Argentina two days before de game. That is a ole Jack Warner curse.

No one goes to see T&T play.

The Pro League and the TTFA shouldn't be giving anyone a hard time to get press passes, infact, they should pay media outlets to cover their games.

I tell you. Trins, they want all the fame and glory and when they fall they take no blame.

Good stuff Sam and others.

[Tenorsaw]

IF...we import a goalkeeper...these two making mistakes and being flat footed about a decade now and don't seem to be improving.

Second that.  The local GK pool is VERY ordinary; they are technically deficient, one-dimensional playing with their feet, erratic on cross balls and poor communicators (Jan cyar even communicate properly and quickly with he team to construct a wall).  Where is that American-based U20 keeper.  I've already said that he is technically superior to Jan and company:  he has good range on crosses, plays well his feet, and is an excellent shot stopper.  He's not the most imposing of keepers, but hey, Nick Rimando is one of the better US keepers and he's only 5-10.

[Tiresais]

IF...we import a goalkeeper...these two making mistakes and being flat footed about a decade now and don't seem to be improving.

Second that.  The local GK pool is VERY ordinary; they are technically deficient, one-dimensional playing with their feet, erratic on cross balls and poor communicators (Jan cyar even communicate properly and quickly with he team to construct a wall).  Where is that American-based U20 keeper.  I've already said that he is technically superior to Jan and company:  he has good range on crosses, plays well his feet, and is an excellent shot stopper.  He's not the most imposing of keepers, but hey, Nick Rimando is one of the better US keepers and he's only 5-10.

Are you talking about Welch? I think you're being too harsh on the local keepers - they'refine skill-wise, but they don't have much experience at Pro level - The TT Pro League isnt' enough off a challenge for the goalies at international level imo, and goalkeeping (bar central defence) is the most experience-dependent position on the pitch. Put williams, Phillips and Samuel in a 1st/2nd division European League and see them transform

[asylumseeker]

IF...we import a goalkeeper...these two making mistakes and being flat footed about a decade now and don't seem to be improving.

Second that.  The local GK pool is VERY ordinary; they are technically deficient, one-dimensional playing with their feet, erratic on cross balls and poor communicators [(Jan cyar even communicate properly and quickly with he team to construct a wall).  Where is that American-based U20 keeper.  I've already said that he is technically superior to Jan and company:  he has good range on crosses, plays well his feet, and is an excellent shot stopper.  He's not the most imposing of keepers, but hey, Nick Rimando is one of the better US keepers and he's only 5-10.

Thought it was only me. Some kinda issue was in progress there.

[Dinner Mints]

IF...we import a goalkeeper...these two making mistakes and being flat footed about a decade now and don't seem to be improving.

Second that.  The local GK pool is VERY ordinary; they are technically deficient, one-dimensional playing with their feet, erratic on cross balls and poor communicators (Jan cyar even communicate properly and quickly with he team to construct a wall).  Where is that American-based U20 keeper.  I've already said that he is technically superior to Jan and company:  he has good range on crosses, plays well his feet, and is an excellent shot stopper.  He's not the most imposing of keepers, but hey, Nick Rimando is one of the better US keepers and he's only 5-10.

Are you talking about Welch? I think you're being too harsh on the local keepers - they'refine skill-wise, but they don't have much experience at Pro level - The TT Pro League isnt' enough off a challenge for the goalies at international level imo, and goalkeeping (bar central defence) is the most experience-dependent position on the pitch. Put williams, Phillips and Samuel in a 1st/2nd division European League and see them transform

Jan has been at Sheffield United and at some club in Belgium, I think. Pretty sure there ain't no more transformation to come on that front.

[g]

What I have observed lately is teams simply playing an attacking 4, and a defensive 6. And the attacking 4 plays in either a square or diamond formation, depending on the personnel and any one of the 4 can end up being the striker, or alternatively there will be the 1 striker with three attacking mids that interchange behind him. The defensive 6 is normally 2 holding midfielders and the back 4 and when in position either 1 of the defensive mids joins the attack or the wing backs go and the holding mids stay. One of the requirements for this to be effective though is the attacking 4 must play very close to each other at all times which requires a premium level of fitness over the course of a game, as stated already in this thread we seem to have mental lapses at the begining and end of halves and concede often but i see the progress and what Hart is trying to acheive.

We need more games, have we done away with the regional schedule of caribbean opposition? I don't mind a fully local squad playing some games against caribbean opposition outside of FIFA windows. Notwithstanding the PFL schedule and the constraints around that I wouldnt mind using games against Grenada, Guyana etc. to get some match practice while we look for bigger fish during the designated friendly windows. 

[Tiresais]

IF...we import a goalkeeper...these two making mistakes and being flat footed about a decade now and don't seem to be improving.

Second that.  The local GK pool is VERY ordinary; they are technically deficient, one-dimensional playing with their feet, erratic on cross balls and poor communicators (Jan cyar even communicate properly and quickly with he team to construct a wall).  Where is that American-based U20 keeper.  I've already said that he is technically superior to Jan and company:  he has good range on crosses, plays well his feet, and is an excellent shot stopper.  He's not the most imposing of keepers, but hey, Nick Rimando is one of the better US keepers and he's only 5-10.

Are you talking about Welch? I think you're being too harsh on the local keepers - they'refine skill-wise, but they don't have much experience at Pro level - The TT Pro League isnt' enough off a challenge for the goalies at international level imo, and goalkeeping (bar central defence) is the most experience-dependent position on the pitch. Put williams, Phillips and Samuel in a 1st/2nd division European League and see them transform

Jan has been at Sheffield United and at some club in Belgium, I think. Pretty sure there ain't no more transformation to come on that front.

He played 9 games in Hungary and 1 game in Belgium. Compare that to the experience of the Jamaican goalies at his age -  Donovan Ricketts (Jamaica) played over 100 games for Brentford and Dwayne Miller has 86 games in the Swedish premier and he's only 25. Had Jan had similar experience, or indeed picks up similar experience in the next 4 years, then he'd be a much better player. Possibly the relative lack of challenge explained why he won best goalie in 2006, and only just reclaimed his title? Maybe the increasing competitiveness of the Pro League will help him improve. All maybes, but he's still our best goalie and comfortably better than any other Caribbean keepers bar Jamaica

[Tenorsaw]

It too late for dem current GKs; they are complacent, due to the lack of competition at club level.

[elan]

Grassroot is where it need to begin. Develop the type of player you want for the style of play you want. We can't show up after players are developed and then fit them in unless they are  world class.

Are our YNT playing similar to our MNT?
Do we have a consistent understanding of tactics across NT age groups?

Our GKs need to have certain organization in specific situations that are consistent. That way it's easy to adjust a new GK (this need to also include the defense and how they cooperate in a given situation, especially on set pieces.)

These need to be across all age group in out National Programs. But, we lack consistency and therefore just fixing the MNT will achieve nothing for the long term.

[toonmili]

IF...we import a goalkeeper...these two making mistakes and being flat footed about a decade now and don't seem to be improving.

Agreed and we get a goal scorer.

[spideybuff]

All maybes, but he's still our best goalie and comfortably better than any other Caribbean keepers bar Jamaica

Thus, the need to import one as opposed to just replacing him...

[Tiresais]

What do you mean by import? The only Trini goalkeepers abroad that I can think of is Welch playing at college in the US and Tony Warner (remember him?) in Malta.

Goalkeepers that I have in the FM database (not in ability order);

Phillip, Marvin
Samuel, Glenroy
Williams, Jan Michael
John, Cleon
Williams, Durance
Warner, Tony
Holder, Thorne
Coker, Zane
Sylvester? Aquilius
Woods, Michael
Clarke, Sheldon
Adams, Akini
Granger, Junior
Alleyne, Adisa
Myers, Michael,
Foncette, Adrian
Andrews, Kenton
Martin, Perry
Berkeley, Stefan
Marshall, Anthony
Malchan, Keston
Sampson, Joel
Thomas, Victor
Marchan, Andre
Dodds, Kevin
Thomas, John
Carabon, Denzil
Lewis, Terrence
Delpesche, Jeffrey
Des-Cartes, Marius
County, Anthony
Francis, Darryl
Peters, Jesse
Javon Sample
Manning, Kitwana
Charles, Tristan,
Charles, Vaughn
Edwards, Christian
Alfred, Marvin
Ince, Clayton (retired)
Francis, Jamal,
Diaz, Waldo
Francois, Jamaal
Baird, Dwane Dean, Andy
Caesar, Kern
Squires, Declan
Julien, Alexi,
Rampersad, Kelon
Johnson, Erskine
Dick, Nicholas
Joseph, Kyle
Seegobin, Javan
Payne, Miguel
Hernandez, Archwell
Gardiner, Keemo
Welch, Johan
Nurse, Emmanuel
Weston, Qwesi
Villaroel, Deandre
Charles, Shaquille
Andrews, Emmanuel
Jack, Kelvin
Mussio, Kevin
Phillip, Abbion
Moore, Jelani
Foster, Andre

Makes roughly 70 keepers that I am aware of in some fashion. Any of those better alternatives? May be time to give Cleon John another shot?