7 months ago
33
ALTHOUGH REGGAE Boyz coach Steve McClaren believes the team is slowly coming together, he said the quality of local playing surfaces presents a challenge to the style of play he and his coaching staff are trying to implement.
After a far from satisfactory performance in their 1-1 draw first-leg Concacaf Gold Cup qualifier against St Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday, the Reggae Boyz turned in a more creditable display in the return leg on Tuesday to win 3-0 and 4-1 on aggregate.
According to McClaren, the Sabina Park surface used for the second leg on Tuesday was more conducive to the style the Reggae Boyz want to play and should be an option for future international matches.
“There is no hiding from the fact that when we play at home at the National Stadium that the surface can be a factor. We find that at training grounds. We find that at the National Stadium. But the pitch here (Sabina Park) was excellent,” he told a post-match press conference.
“Apart from Isaac Hayden, who had a really tight calf because in the middle where he was playing was very hard, I thought that was excellent, and I felt the surroundings and atmosphere were very good. So we can play here again.
“But these (UK-based) players are used to good surfaces. The local players, maybe, not. But it has a big effect on the game we want to play.
“We want to keep the ball. We want to play from the back. We don’t want to be a team that I call an opportune team who rely on long balls, second balls, and transition from that.
“And to do that on some of the difficult surfaces that we had to, it has been hard. But we have persisted with it. And we are getting used to that.”
He said the game on Tuesday was a good indication that the team is getting more familiar with the principles they want to adopt but thinks they have some way to go with very little time as World Cup qualifiers are fast approaching.
“What I saw in the first (leg) game, although the tempo could be higher, I saw a lot of principles which we worked on from day one, especially in this (second-leg) game.
“A lot of principles like building with three at the back, having a controller, having a 10, speed on the sides, and a target man who can run in behind. That is more of how I want to play instead of playing in front of the opponent all the time.
“The key is getting behind the opponent, and I felt we did that today. We haven’t done as well in previous games, so that is something to take forward,” he said.
He added: “We wanted to come in and change the style to more of what is happening in Europe and the UK in terms of building ball possession and pressing and counter press.
“Pressing high, winning the ball and transitioning quick, being compact as a team, and that takes time. We only have them for four days maximum, but we are getting better.”
English (US) ·