Then how is it you are giving credence to the idea in your opening statement YET at the same time thrashing it as experimental games not worthy for professionals?

Mi neva “infer that players in England, whether they were 'exports' or English-born, would have an advantage in being picked for Jamaica simply because they played in England and for no other reason than that” that is Your imagination racing ahead of you.

Tappa doesn’t impress me as a yute that is impulsive and anti-progressive

When FIFA international match dates come around EPL managers are reluctantly to let their charges go especially when they are hot and carrying the team.

An epl manager faced with a choice between:
1. letting off 2 of his ballas to go to the Caribbean to represent Jamaica vs. Barbados in a Gold cup tournament and fly back in 2-3 days for the next league match

And
2. letting off the same 2 ballas to travel to France to represent Jamaica against France in a International friendly

Which of the above do you think he would be more inclined to approve rather that someone having to concoct stories of sudden and strange injuries of both ballas and their unavailability?

So this is not about undermining Tappa. Afta Tappan nuh insecure fi need barb wire roun im title

Is Barnes above assistant coach?

This lays a solid foundation for a credible program for the ballas we have in England and the other wanna be Boyz ballas there to play together so they can experience international ball on a regular basis

Club ball alone will not cut it fi some

Gives us depth and when crucial games in WCQ come around we have an arsenal of weapons

Local program stuck in low gear, shouldn’t be a crime to think outside the box

Stop hugup Tappa like seh im inna pampers give im some breathing room

You've totally misinterpreted my reasons for the comments I've made.

Let me re-phrase what I've said to make clear what I'm trying to say.

Your idea would be a brilliant one if it were not for the reality of the situation as it stands now, which is:

1. Horace Burrell is a dictator that will not support any ideas for the progress of Jamaican football over which he does not maintain total control.

2. John Barnes, in a progressive system such as you are suggesting, would already be Jamaica's chief scout and football ambassador in England if Burrell had your insight into making progress for Jamaica. Instead, Burrell unceremoniously dumped Barnes and you've heard of no further connection with John Barnes and Jamaican football since. It goes without saying that Barnes and Burrell are not friends and could never work together again.

3. The reality is that English club managers do not want to release their players for international duty of any kind, period.
This does not only apply to Jamaica but to the larger countries as well. The football business in England is a cutthroat one where each man only cares about his own team's results and keeping his job.

English managers would be even less inclined to release players for any type of games that FIFA's rules do not force them to and you see how difficult it is to have them release players for FIFA's sanctioned dates.

4. The system you've suggested is a brilliant one for Jamaica but unfortunately, does not fit into the current system that is in place now and with every man protecting his own turf first, it simply won't be allowed to work.

The only football country that has anything similar to what you've suggested is Spain, where Catalonia plays non-official internationals as an autonomous region and that is due to Johan Cruyff's influence and involvement as much as anything else.

I'm not sure whether any of the players that represent Catalonia plays for Spain as well but these are not official internationals.

5. The JFF does not have the funds to run a proper program in Jamaica, much less run a second recruitment program here in England so who would fund this project ?

If Burrell could harness this brilliant idea of yours and influnce the Jamaica community in England, including the players currently playing here to support it, it would work but remembering the competition for places when the final squad is picked for major competitions, the rivalries created would be fierce and probably do more to harm Jamaica's football rather than help it.

I hope you see my reasoning now.

Ricky mi kinda slow, so mi naah follow yuh
You have showered the idea with accolades fit for an Oscar nominee

The ting wid me if mi have a brilliant workable idea yuh find ways around the man made obstacles some of them imagined

When you are driving through town or through the countryside, do you look for the obstacles or the openings
When you are dribbling, passing do you look for the openings or kick it in di wall and pray?

Yep, that's exactly what it is. If its up to me, the only way he'd wear the national colors is if he bought it in a store and base on the JFF's marketing, I wish him the best of luck with that.

he was callup 4 years ago but the matches he was callup for was cancelled

OK, so if Nosworthy moved to MLS and awaited the Jamaica call would he still be considered English.


I think the Captain would like to cut back on the amount of transatlantic airfares from England for a while. I seriously doubt he would not consider players like Hines, Humphrey or Sappleton, if they showed the quality. Those players are all Jamaica-born but grew up in England.

Some good points....however, do you actually thing the coaches choose English based players purely on their parental qualifications? I kind of doubt it..but I get your gist players should be chosen based on ability, and form.

Yes we need a system.....but we will have to have a flexible one so that we can create the appropriate strategy and tatics based on our opponent....we can't just come up with system and play our style without considering the opponent. [/quote

[/quote

If you read my comments again, you'll see that I'm emphasising the point that most of the English born/grown players available to Jamaica are not particularly suited to playing CONCACAF style football and Jamaica has to qualify for the WC out of CONCACAF.

I'm not questioning their ability to play the football played in England, especially at the levels below the EPL but do they bring anything that Jamaica needs, to the table ?

English players do not keep possession of the football particularly well, or did you not notice that in the WC ?

If Jamaica wants to compete with the best in CONCACAF, they have to be able to hold the ball as individuals and as a team better than they have done in past competitions.

You cannot chop and change your system and style of play based on each and every opponent that you will face, there has to be some consistency in how you intend your team to play; slight tactical adjustments are always needed from match to match but in the framework of the general game plan.

I cannot see Jamaica playing a high-tempo, English style of football and get past the best in CONCACAF to even qualify for the Hexagon for the next WC; sorry, that's just my opinion.

Jamaica needs a midfield that can hold the ball in the middle of the pitch more; I think the team is pretty solid in all other areas when matched up against the top 3 or 4 in CONCACAF but what is missing will be crucial in matching Mexico, the USA,Costa Rica and Honduras.

Look at the way Ghana plays and you will see what I'm talking about.

If you read my comments again, you'll see that I'm emphasising the point that most of the English born/grown players available to Jamaica are not particularly suited to playing CONCACAF style football and Jamaica has to qualify for the WC out of CONCACAF.

I'm not questioning their ability to play the football played in England, especially at the levels below the EPL but do they bring anything that Jamaica needs, to the table ?

English players do not keep possession of the football particularly well, or did you not notice that in the WC ?

If Jamaica wants to compete with the best in CONCACAF, they have to be able to hold the ball as individuals and as a team better than they have done in past competitions.

You cannot chop and change your system and style of play based on each and every opponent that you will face, there has to be some consistency in how you intend your team to play; slight tactical adjustments are always needed from match to match but in the framework of the general game plan.

I cannot see Jamaica playing a high-tempo, English style of football and get past the best in CONCACAF to even qualify for the Hexagon for the next WC; sorry, that's just my opinion.

Jamaica needs a midfield that can hold the ball in the middle of the pitch more; I think the team is pretty solid in all other areas when matched up against the top 3 or 4 in CONCACAF but what is missing will be crucial in matching Mexico, the USA,Costa Rica and Honduras.

Look at the way Ghana plays and you will see what I'm talking about. [/quote

Ric nothing no wrong with the I opinion. Still, when we choose the players they need to have the pre-requiste skill/ability and form; if they can't meet the pre-requisite then no game for them, period! We are dealing with professional players that play according to the coaches directions, when they play for us they need to play the role assigned to them by our national coach. Some of the English based players might not be able to adjust, but that means some will cut the mustard. Which of the following players you feel did not deserve to play for JA when they were on the top of their game (off the top of my head list):

JCR, Burton, Lawrence, Hyde, Hall, Earle, Simpson, Hayles, King.

As far as system is concerned, we need an identity with flexibility.

Ric nothing no wrong with the I opinion. Still, when we choose the players they need to have the pre-requiste skill/ability and form; if they can't meet the pre-requisite then no game for them, period! We are dealing with professional players that play according to the coaches directions, when they play for us they need to play the role assigned to them by our national coach. Some of the English based players might not be able to adjust, but that means some will cut the mustard. Which of the following players you feel did not deserve to play for JA when they were on the top of their game (off the top of my head list):

JCR, Burton, Lawrence, Hyde, Hall, Earle, Simpson, Hayles, King.

As far as system is concerned, we need an identity with flexibility. [/quote

This is a pretty easy one to answer, with the list you've given me.

Lawrence, Hydes, Hayles would not even be called by Jamaica now, with the current crop of locally-groomed midfielders and strikers in contention for a place in Jamaica's best senior squad.

You've give a good list of players that accentuate my point perfectly.

When those players were called, Jamaica was still in the process of developing quality players from Jamaica, to play in CONCACAF; we are some ways along now in that process and these players I've taken from your list, if repreentative of what would be currently called out of England, are not better than what has been produced locally.

Nyron Nosworthy falls squarely into that category as well, by the way.

What Jamaica needs now is a couple of CONCACAF-quality playmaking midfielders, a la 'Tappa' Whitmore and the squad will be set.

We're well served with ability and speed on the flanks, in both defense and attack, our central defense has the potential to be a solid unit and there are a good pool of strikers to choose from.

We need a 'dan dadda' midfield general who can help the team slow down the tempo of the game and keep possession when the game demands that and you won't find him in England.

This is a pretty easy one to answer, with the list you've given me.

Lawrence, Hydes, Hayles would not even be called by Jamaica now, with the current crop of locally-groomed midfielders and strikers in contention for a place in Jamaica's best senior squad.

You've give a good list of players that accentuate my point perfectly.

When those players were called, Jamaica was still in the process of developing quality players from Jamaica, to play in CONCACAF; we are some ways along now in that process and these players I've taken from your list, if repreentative of what would be currently called out of England, are not better than what has been produced locally.

Nyron Nosworthy falls squarely into that category as well, by the way.

What Jamaica needs now is a couple of CONCACAF-quality playmaking midfielders, a la 'Tappa' Whitmore and the squad will be set.

We're well served with ability and speed on the flanks, in both defense and attack, our central defense has the potential to be a solid unit and there are a good pool of strikers to choose from.

We need a 'dan dadda' midfield general who can help the team slow down the tempo of the game and keep possession when the game demands that and you won't find him in England. [/quote

I thing we are saying the same thing; select the best players. If the bar on talent has been raised then if you can't reach the bar you don't get called up. I never asked if any of those players would get called up today; only if they deserved to get their calls when they played for us and were in form. The answer is yes. Choose the best you have to choose from; don't limit yourself with such foolishness as yard vs foreign based, England style vs CONCACAF style. It is the coaches responsiblity to deterimine what our tatics and style of play should be. You keep refering to English players not being able to keep possesion and I'm not buying it. England fell apart at the world cup because of many reasons, but they can play possesion ball if that is what the coach tells them to do; the players have the skill and talent to do it. When they gave us six it surely looked like they kept possesion well. Yes, JA has come a long way talent wise and our players have better exposure to the world game, this means that any player wanting to wear our colours have to meet certain requirements whether they are Europe based, yard based, or america based.

Do we need a maestro? I would love one, but it's not a necessity in the modern game. I agree that it will be difficult to find a creative player like Tappa in England, but I suspect it will be very difficult to find such a player in JA or the US as well. Players like Tappa come along once in while...you will not find one on every corner.