Gally calls for top-level technical committee

FORMER national football team midfielder/striker and coach Everald “Gally” Cummings is calling for a top-level technical committee “to oversee (the) preparation of all national teams”. Cummings, the only TT footballer to be named as Sportsman of the Year (1973), made this plea in a media release on Sunday, a day after TT’s 6-0 humiliation by the United States in a Concacaf Gold Cup Group D fixture in Cleveland, Ohio, US.“A very disappointing performance but not unexpected,” was how Cummings described the performance of the Dennis Lawrence-coached TT squad. “The team lacks structure (and) organisation as some players do not seem to understand their roles and responsibilities. The team also lacks an identity because I don’t understand what kind of football they are playing.” Cummings mentioned a similar occurrence in 1987, when he took over as TT coach from the pair of Roderick Warner and Muhammad Isa (both deceased) after a 4-1 beating from the US.“I can’t believe we have gone back to those days, especially where technology is so much more advanced and (there are) so many opportunities available for international friendlies to test your skills against worldwide opponents, which were not available then,” said Cummings. The 70-year-old Cummings commented, “We keep hearing only excuses of learning experiences and developing but they don’t seem to be learning anything or developing. We have very good players, but they look good on an individual basis (and) not in a team situation, which shows a lack of organisation and (that they are) not being used to their strengths.

“We cannot continue to go on like this. We need the urgent establishment of a technical committee with the best soccer minds in TT — and not friends and associates of the president of the TTFA (TT Football Association) — to oversee preparation of all national teams.” The ex-Strike Squad coach admitted, “It hurts to see national teams unable to compete in international competitions due to lack of preparation with so much available potential in the country. I have noticed teams like Jamaica, Haiti and Panama — over whom we had an advantage — are remaining competitive and doing reasonably well.” According to Cummings, “Over the last five years, I have offered my services to the past and present administrations and the Sportt Company as a technical adviser to assist in preparation of all teams because I have been observing the inadequacies all around.“When national teams are doing well, as in all sport, it lifts the spirit of the country and builds confidence and motivates our young people.”