Physical makeup of the T&T MNT

[palos]

Aside from Cordell Cato, Kevin Molino, Levi Garcia, and to a lesser extent Andre Boucaud....the vast majority of the core of the T&T MNT share the following physical characteristics:

Big
Strong
Athletic


Bateau
Abu Bakr (ok...so NOT athletic here...but definitely big and strong)
Mikiel Williams
Cyrus
Aubrey David
Yohance Marshall
Carlyle Mitchell
Tristan Hodge
Hyland
Bostock (ah know he technically not in the squad but will be)
Kevan George
Neveal Hackshaw
KJ


The "hobbits" are mostly the attackers (save for Andre Boucaud):
Levi Garcia
Joevin Jones
Cordell Cato
Trevin Caesar
Jomal Williams
Shahdon Winchester
Kevin Molino

And all the "hobbits" PACY and skillful.  Some more so than others.

The common thread among the team is athleticism.  In keeping with the trend of modern football where athleticism increasingly "trumps" other more "traditional" attributes like technique and work rate.

Not saying you don't need those traditional skill sets.

In today's football, you ideally need to have all 3 to be able to play effectively AT PACE.    But if you lacking in one area, it better not be in the athleticism department....otherwise crapaud smoke yuh pipe.

Ask Fabergas and Rooney.

Which is a shame....because it essentially suggests that a player like Socrates might not have come to prominence in this era.  And the game would be the poorer for it.

But reality is a bitch

[Tallman]

Which is a shame....because it essentially suggests that a player like Socrates might not have come to prominence in this era.  And the game would be the poorer for it.

When yuh say this era, what year yuh starting from?

[elan]

Nah man I think you can lack "athleticism" and still be successful nowadays. A number of quality international don't possess any outstanding athleticism and yet they are revered.

Look at the last dominant team in the world. Athleticism is not the first thing that comes to mind.

[palos]

Nah man I think you can lack "athleticism" and still be successful nowadays. A number of quality international don't possess any outstanding athleticism and yet they are revered.

Look at the last dominant team in the world. Athleticism is not the first thing that comes to mind.

Barca?  Not athletic?  Really?

[palos]

Which is a shame....because it essentially suggests that a player like Socrates might not have come to prominence in this era.  And the game would be the poorer for it.

When yuh say this era, what year yuh starting from?

It's difficult as you know to pin down an exact year.  It started a while now.  Good example is a player like KJ who essentially got a contract with an English club primarily because of his athleticism.  It wasn't because of his technical ability.  How long KJ in England now?

But the game has evolved now where more athletic players are being preferred to those who are primarily technical.  Hence my example of Fabergas in particular, and Rooney.

And this is because the game is primarily won now in midfield.  The football field has compressed to play in a small area in the midfield and the role that athleticism plays increasingly comes to the fore.

[Cocorite]

Sounds like yuh like me. . .yuh missing you technical #10's. Too much German type machines.

Dais because Brazil drop the ball  . . .  and big contracts tief the fun outta de game.

Argentina still producing technical ballers who are revered.

[Dutty Love]

That surely explains why Jamaica and USA are much better than Mexico 😂😂😂

[Preacher]

Palos I hear you but I do believe that it's based on brand and need.  Some coaches feel they need certain player types.   Klinsman done know skill is not for the US team.  So he went for the 6,4s.  But other teams still hold to skill of machinery.  I think T&T needs these strong players but there is alot of space in our brand traditional merits of the game.  Discipline execution as a unit can only get u so far in our brand.  Sooner our later we need players open up chances. 

[KND2]

All top professional soccer player are athletic.

Some are athletic and skill full. (these are the world class players)

90% of the game involves running without contact with the ball.

men who cannot run are a liability on defense and cannot get into position quick enough on the counter attack where most goals are scored.

make no mistake Men like messi and fabregas are very athletic
but they are also very skillfull so people focus on those qualities

but athleticism is a prerequisite for all players.