VERE PHOENIX coach Lenworth Hyde completed a Concacaf B licence course and only awaits his certificate from local governing body the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).
Hyde, who has three Premier League titles with three different clubs, has come under scrutiny over the last couple of weeks after he was warned by the federation that he and technical director Craig Butler would be fined going forward as they did not hold the Concacaf ‘B’ coaching licence, which is the minimum requirement to instruct a Jamaica Premier League team from the sidelines.
However, Hyde had revealed that he was in the process of completing the course and was happy to report after Sunday’s 3-1 win over Molynes United that it is no longer an issue.
“The JFF know what is going on. They are the ones coaching us and teaching us. I did my final exam on (last) Thursday. The money was paid up and everything. So we are just waiting on my B licence (certificate) now,” he confirmed.
Although Butler, who has not done the Concacaf B licence course, might face some reprimand in the future if he continues to push the boundaries inside the technical area during matches, Hyde said the controversial technical director remains a key part of their setup, and that together they will make Vere stronger and better.
“He (Butler) is the general. We need him amongst us and we work excellent together. So the team is going to get better and we’ll play some better football,” he said.
After losing their first match to Montego Bay United, the team scored their first win over Molynes on Sunday.
According to Hyde, there are still some things to fine-tune and more players to come in and, by the second round, they will be a real force to be reckoned with.
“There are some things we have to tweak. The more games we play, the more confident we will get and the chemistry will build more.
“We haven’t got in everybody as yet. We are still waiting on a couple of players but the ones that we got in were excellent. It is a good unit and we are looking forward to challenging this season in the Premier League.”
He added that, the more games they play, the more their distinct style of play will be appreciated.
“We want to keep that (style) in our squad. That is our image. We want to play the football with intensity and we want to keep possession, and both coaches are working hard to get that done, and by the next round you will see some better football.
“We just need the confidence and the belief and to trust in each other, but, when we get the chemistry, you will see it. Because we have players that are technically sound and, when we have technical players, you will see the possession game,” he stated.