Tournament a series of disappointing results, says Whitmore

BY PAUL A REID Observer writer

Friday, January 23, 2015    

CATHERINE HALL, St James — One of the reasons the Jamaican Under-20 men’s team might have failed so badly in the ongoing CONCACAF Under-20 Championship is that players got too relaxed after they made the team, suggests head coach Theodore Whitmore.

Jamaica managed only two points in a 2-2 draw against Trinidad and Tobago in their opening game in Kingston and an error-filled 0-0 draw against Aruba in their final Group A game in Montego Bay Wednesday night.

Jamaica scored just two goals, both coming in the first game, and never threatened for a play-off spot that would see two additional qualifiers in addition to the two automatic spots that went to the group winners for the FIFA Wold Cup to be held in New Zealand May-June.

Whitmore told members of the media on Wednesday that players got relaxed after the final squad was named. “After the 20 were named, the players got relaxed knowing they could not be dropped from the squad,” the coach said.

He acknowledged that some players had not performed up to expectations, but refused to call names. He noted that for sure the overall the tournament proved to be “a series of disappointing results”.

One of the biggest issues, Whitmore trumpeted as a factor that led to the meltdown, was the perennial shortage of time for coaches to properly prepare teams for competitions.

“We just never had time for players and coaches to get to know each other,” he said. “We never had time to ‘chop and change’, and that is never good.”

“We need more time to prepare teams, not just this Under-20s, but the senior teams, all junior teams sand the women’s teams,” he said.

View the original article here

Tournament a series of disappointing results, says Whitmore

Tournament a series of disappointing results, says Whitmore

BY PAUL A REID Observer writer

Friday, January 23, 2015    

CATHERINE HALL, St James — One of the reasons the Jamaican Under-20 men’s team might have failed so badly in the ongoing CONCACAF Under-20 Championship is that players got too relaxed after they made the team, suggests head coach Theodore Whitmore.

Jamaica managed only two points in a 2-2 draw against Trinidad and Tobago in their opening game in Kingston and an error-filled 0-0 draw against Aruba in their final Group A game in Montego Bay Wednesday night.

Jamaica scored just two goals, both coming in the first game, and never threatened for a play-off spot that would see two additional qualifiers in addition to the two automatic spots that went to the group winners for the FIFA Wold Cup to be held in New Zealand May-June.

Whitmore told members of the media on Wednesday that players got relaxed after the final squad was named. “After the 20 were named, the players got relaxed knowing they could not be dropped from the squad,” the coach said.

He acknowledged that some players had not performed up to expectations, but refused to call names. He noted that for sure the overall the tournament proved to be “a series of disappointing results”.

One of the biggest issues, Whitmore trumpeted as a factor that led to the meltdown, was the perennial shortage of time for coaches to properly prepare teams for competitions.

“We just never had time for players and coaches to get to know each other,” he said. “We never had time to ‘chop and change’, and that is never good.”

“We need more time to prepare teams, not just this Under-20s, but the senior teams, all junior teams sand the women’s teams,” he said.

View the original article here

Tournament a series of disappointing results, says Whitmore

Burrell plans to offer Whitmore development squad

There is the possibility of a continuing role for Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore in Jamaica’s coaching set-up, hinted JFF president Captain Horace Burrell.

The football boss made the comment at a function on Wednesday to present Whitmore’s successor, German Winfried Schaffer, as head coach of the Boyz.“Tappa still has a role to play… he’s a developing coach who is committed to the country’s football, and who I believe has a bright future,” Burrell told the Jamaica Observer.“When you look at his track record, Mr Whitmore has not done badly, but at this time we believe we needed more experience and that is what we have gone for,” he said.Burrell said there’s a proposal on the table to possibly appoint Whitmore as head coach of the development of the Under-23 squad, the group that would try to qualify for the Olympics and a direct feeder for the senior rank.“We plan to put him in charge of this crucial development team… also as part of his continued development, we will also be sending him on some courses,” Burrell disclosed.“It’s unfortunate how things turned for Whitmore and the senior team, but there’s no animosity either way… there is a mutual respect and understanding that this is football at this level. He remains an asset that we intend to continue to invest in,” said the CONCACAF vice-president.With Schafer coming on board and Jamaican Vin Blaine appointed his assistant, the new order would suggest that technical director Brazilian Alfredo Montesso would not have direct survey of the senior team, and with the possible appointment of Whitmore to the Under-23s, his focus now would be concentrated on the development side.“The technical director is responsible for developing football at the various levels, and we believe that with his passion for development and his overall expertise and experience, Mr Montesso will be able to continue to serve our football in a significant way,” said Burrell.Whitmore had resigned as head coach of the senior Boyz following a string of losses — four back-to-back in the CONCACAF hexagonal — which left Jamaica rooted at the bottom of the standings on two points.Jamaica have four more games, starting with one away to Panama on September 6, to rescue their flagging Brazil 2014 World Cup campaign and clinch one of four possible qualifying spots.Meanwhile, The USA lead the CONCACAF qualifying campaign with 13 points, followed by Costa Rica on 11, Mexico on eight, Honduras with seven, and Panama on six.

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Burrell plans to offer Whitmore development squad