DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD

The new three-week FIFA international window is something that will take some getting used to, says Jamaica senior men’s interim head coach Rudolph Speid.

While the additional week offers national team coaches more time with their players and more matches to assess them, Speid pointed out that it requires greater organisation and more effort to keep players motivated throughout the period.

During the previous international window in September, Jamaica played four matches under Speid, winning two, drawing one, and losing one to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Nations League.

Although pleased to have his overseas-based professionals available for such an extended period, Speid noted that the coaching staff had to find creative ways to keep the players engaged and motivated.

“The window, it is unprecedented. We have never had a window like this outside the major tournaments like a World Cup or when we have the Copa America or Euros.

“We are talking about players being with us continuously for four games as against the usual two.

“That, in itself, posed a challenge to ensure that people remained on top of their form and did not get bored or start to yearn for the comfort of other environments. So that was a real challenge to keep everybody in place for that long a time,” he said.

Nevertheless, Speid said the extended period with the squad was invaluable in helping the coaching staff implement its ideas.

“From that point of view (good having players for extended period to better implement tactics), it is true, but a lot of times you have to split up what you do.

“It was good for that purpose to be able to try and establish an identity, how the team wants to play, whether in possession or out of possession, and I think we were able to do that,” he said.

Meanwhile, the interim coach said he is seeking to create a team that is versatile and adaptable against different styles of play rather than one defined by a single approach.

He believes the team’s last two Nations League matches away to El Salvador and Honduras demonstrated the effectiveness of that philosophy.

“We don’t want to be pigeon-holed into one style of play. Teams can counter you and decide what they want to take away from you (tactically). So we wanted to do that (have a style), but we want to have some versatility in how we play.

“Most of the players now have a very good understanding because we actually put our identity of what you wanted in writing, and it was explained to the team, and that helped a lot, especially in the away games where we had more of the kind of players that we think were able to execute what we wanted.”

Speid also said the technical staff was pleased to have achieved most, if not all, of the objectives set before the start of the window.

“The job was always to do a number of things. We are trying to see if we can climb the rankings, the Concacaf or the FIFA ranking.

“The job was to qualify for the second round (Nations League), and we were drawn in a zone that the teams we were going to play against none of them were easy.

“We have had a very difficult history when we go to Central America, but at the end, we did what was expected. We qualified for the playoffs.

“I would have preferred to have won the zone. We tried to win that last match and win the zone, and we got a jump (two places to 69) in the (FIFA) ranking.

“So three of the objectives were met in the window. It could have been better, but there’s always room for improvement.”

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com