3 weeks ago
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REGGAE BOYZ head coach Stephen McClaren said that as he continues to learn about what Jamaican football has to offer, he has been pleased with the attitude of several players who had originally staked their claim to fame through the schoolboy football competitions.
Speaking after the team’s scoreless draw against Honduras on Monday, McClaren said he has since learned a lot about the players since his managerial debut in September.
He credited former schoolboys standouts Kaheim Dixon and Renaldo Cephas as two key players in his squad who provide an element of pace out in the wide spaces for the team.
Dixon, who made headlines at Clarendon College, and Cephas, who turned out for Charlie Smith High School, were second-half substitutes in Jamaica’s last outing as McClaren wanted a more attacking threat from the Boyz in an otherwise dull affair.
“We wanted to build and go through the middle, but it was difficult when we wanted to do that so, therefore, we had to rethink and go around the opponents, which is why we put the wingers on, Kaheim and Cephas,” McClaren explained.
“I’m seeing these players for the first time and working with these players for the first time, so I don’t know them, and I’m getting to know them. From what I’ve seen, they injected that tempo and that speed. Cephas, that’s what I want from my wingers, don’t come back, take them on and same on the other side with Kaheim, take people on. I thought they brought a bit more tempo to our game.”
McClaren also spoke about former Jamaica College (JC) maestro, Tyreek Magee, who started in both games of the October window against Nicaragua and Honduras.
IMPRESSIVE IN FIRST MATCH
Magee had impressed McClaren and fans alike with his performance in the first match against Nicaragua but seemed off the pace against the tougher Honduran defence.
McClaren said Magee’s involvement with the squad will come in time as he navigates the best role for the player.
“Against Nicaragua, we played him on the right-hand side, and that suited him. Against Honduras, we wanted more speed in the wide positions, and losing Bobby Reid, that was the perfect opportunity to give Tyreek a chance in his position of a number 10,” he stated.
“It was difficult in there because Honduras have the strength in their team and the midfield closing down. It was a difficult game, and we thought about moving him out wide, but as I said, it was a game for Kaheim and Cephas where we wanted more speed on the outside.”
Another player who caught McClaren’s attention was midfielder Jahshaun Anglin after seeing his performances for Mount Pleasant in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL).
Unlike his teammates, Anglin did not impress during his schoolboy days, having only played a single season in the Manning Cup. However, Anglin quickly rose to national attention due to his exploits at Harbour View FC.
McClaren described Anglin as a player who plays with a ‘mature head’ and who has been given the opportunity to stake his claim in the national setup.
“I like him when I watched Mount Pleasant, and I said, ‘Who is that number six?’ Unbelievable, and he’s only 24, and he played with a more mature head.
“So we gave him an opportunity, and that’s what we’ve been doing in these two camps. We’ve had injuries, so we had to bring people in. So I’m learning so much, and don’t get me wrong, I’m making mistakes as well, but I’m learning.”
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