3 days ago
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REGGAE BOYZ coach Steve McClaren has been feeling the heat for the team’s underwhelming performances in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers.
Former national assistant coach, Bradley Stewart, is one of those questioning McClaren’s coaching capacity after the Reggae Boyz gave up a last-minute goal in a 1-1 draw away to Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday.
The Reggae Boyz slipped to second in Group B on 10 points, behind Curaçao, who defeated Bermuda 7-0 to jump out front on 11. Trinidad are third with six points, while Bermuda are yet to register.
Stewart said Jamaica conceding so late in the game, after taking the lead, is a sign of the coach’s lack of in-game management, noting also that the team was chaotic in defence and never looked comfortable seeing out the game.
“We were leading from early second half, and we couldn’t hold on. We couldn’t adjust the teamplays defensively and make sure we get the three points.
“So I have to ask questions about the ability of the coach to make assessments in the interest of the team,” he said.
“Trinidad is always a tough game, and if you get an advantage, can you adjust your team and make it difficult for the other team to penetrate.
“Because you have an advantage already. So deny them opportunities to get shots at goal. If we deny the opposing team the opportunity, because we have numbers in a particular zone that makes it difficult for them to penetrate, then we would have had a good chance of winning the game. So I am not so convinced about the quality of our coaching,” he commented.
He noted that some of the former Manchester United assistant coach’s pronouncements in press conferences have left Reggae Boyz fans baffled.
Stewart point out that McClaren, after praising striker Shamar Nicholson as the best in the region, inexplicably omitted the forward, who has two goals in his last five, and replaced him with Rumarn Burrell, who got his first start in only his second World Cup qualfier.
No place for newcomers
Burrell has only one goal in five matches for the the Boyz, which came in a friendly.
His only World Cup appearance came in a 3-0 win over Guatemala, back in June, when he had 13 minutes.
He noted also that McClaren insisted he had no place in the team for newcomers at this late stage of the qualifiers. But notedly gave Brentford’s Nico Henry his first call-up and debut in an unfamiliar midfield role, instead of his preferred left-back position. These and other decisions Stewart called mind-boggling.
“I read his comments, where he said he is playing players that he trusted. I don’t know if that adds up because it’s whether or not these players are efficient and effective.
“Me trusting somebody does not necessarily mean he can produce in the game, and that is a contradiction as far as I am concerned,” he said.
“The other thing is, you said you wanted no new players in the system and then you tell us about this new guy Nico [Henry] who hadn’t played for us. But you invited him. I don’t know how that makes sense.
“It doesn’t make sense to me because you have players around the team for a long time, that you know of their capabilities under whatever circumstances.
“But you’ve never played this guy in the system before. But you invite a new man at this stage and play him. That is stupid to me.”
Stewart continued that some players who consistently prove their value to the team are largely ignored, while the coach continues to put his faith in ‘bigger name’ players, most of whom have grossly underperformed.
“Does the coach know the quality that we have? Does he know whether or not we have the local players that can deliver for us?” Stewart quizzed.
He added that in the future, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) when hiring a coach, should take due diligence to ensure the country is getting a quality coach.
“There are a lot of questions and it has put us in a tight situation. We have to win the (last) game in order to go through. And it will be rough, depending on what the other team does.
“But we want to go in a direction where they bring in quality coaches that give us a chance to do well. So you have to go for coaches who have some kind of experience and have acquired a CV that says, ‘they have won this or won that.’ That is not the case with this coach.
“Our automatic qualification will depend on this coach’s ability to motivate the players. Assuming the players have the quality to lift their game and be more efficient and get a win. But we are playing at home and that hopefully gives us an advantage.”
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