No Latapy or Fevrier; Nakhid, Fenwick and Vranes face international competition for Warriors job

Former Trinidad and Tobago captain and Europe-based midfielder, David Nakhid, is the sole Trinidad-born candidate with his hat in the ring, as the TTFA’s technical committee pores over more than a dozen applicants to lead the Soca Warriors through the remainder of the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

But there are a few more household names in the running to replace departed head coach Stephen Hart, including ex-Trinidad and Tobago national coaches Zoran Vranes, Francisco Maturana and Wim Rijsbergen, former Central FC and San Juan Jabloteh coach Terry Fenwick and ex-Jabloteh coach Ricky Hill.

Photo: Former Trinidad and Tobago football captain David Nakhid speaks at the 2015 Play The Game conference in Aarhus, Denmark. (Copyright Thomas Søndergaard/Play The Game)
Photo: Former Trinidad and Tobago football captain David Nakhid speaks at the 2015 Play The Game conference in Aarhus, Denmark.
(Copyright Thomas Søndergaard/Play The Game)

Fenwick—who is a married to a Trinidadian, Reyna Kowlessar—and Vranes have both lived on the two island republic for most of this millennium.

However, despite persistent rumours, sources indicate that the new National Senior Team head coach will not be W Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier or current TTFA youth coach Russell Latapy, as neither applied for the post. Fevrier, who was born in St Lucia but spent most of his adult life in Trinidad, and Latapy are both former senior Warriors coaches.


Former World Cup 2006 captain Dwight Yorke, who has his coaching badges and applied for several jobs in England, has not formally expressed interest in replacing Hart either.

But, according to sources, there are at least another eight overseas coaches who are keen on heading the Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team.

Brazilian Joel Santana (ex-Vasco Da Gama coach), Colombian Luis Fernando Suarez (ex-Honduras and Ecuador World Cup coach), Frenchman Philippe Troussier (ex-South Africa and Japan World Cup coach), Scotsman Alex McLeish (ex-Scotland, Glasgow Rangers and Aston Villa coach) and Belgian Herman Vermeulen (ex-Oud-Heverlee Leuven coach) are said to top the list.

Photo: Former Honduras coach Luis Fernando Suarez has applied to coach the Soca Warriors. (Copyright Record.com.mx)
Photo: Former Honduras coach Luis Fernando Suarez has applied to coach the Soca Warriors.
(Copyright Record.com.mx)

McLeish coached Anthony Rougier and Russell Latapy at Hibernian in Scotland and then Latapy and Marvin Andrews at Rangers.

Early contact from agents supposedly representing former Brazil World Cup coach Carlos Dunga, Netherlands and Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard and England boss Roy Hodgson failed to materialise into a formal bid—either because they were insincere in the first place or unimpressed by the terms on offer.

Most international coaches were interested to hear not just about the salary on offer but also the length of the contract, the number of staff members they can bring and the available training facilities on the two island republic.

Technical committee chairman Dexter Skeene said he was “unable to say at this point” who comprised the shortlist or which coaches caught his eye. But he said they are doing their best to source a coach“best suited to the deliver the kind of results we are looking for.”

“First, it is important to note that the technical committee is an advisory body [and does not make the final decision],” Skeene told Wired868. “We are looking at different options and soon we will put forward the possibilities [to the TTFA board of directors]. There are a lot of people interested [in the job], which is good for Trinidad and Tobago.”


Photo: Trinidad and Tobago winger Joevin Jones (centre) terrorises United States players DeAndre Yedlin (right) and Michael Orozco during Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying action at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. (Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago winger Joevin Jones (centre) terrorises United States players DeAndre Yedlin (right) and Michael Orozco during Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying action at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)

Skeene did not offer a timeline for the technical committee’s decision but recommendations are expected to be forwarded to the board of directors by the end of the week.

The technical committee is understood to be placing a priority on coaching experience within the CONCACAF region and coaches who handled a national team within the last three years.

Only one coach appears to tick all the relevant boxes: Luis Fernando Suarez, who led Ecuador to the second round of the South Africa 2010 World Cup and steered Honduras to the Brazil 2014 World Cup tournament.

Suarez’s career has stuttered since the 2014 World Cup, though, as he had brief unsuccessful spells with Peru top flight club, Club Universitario de Deportes, and Dorados de Sinaloa, who were relegated the the Mexico second division.

The TTFA is believed to be offering its new head coach just a 12-month deal. However, a storming run in the CONCACAF Hex and a good showing at the 2017 Gold Cup—if the Warriors can get there through a convoluted Play Off series—will probably suit coaches who hope to use the job as a stepping stone.

Photo: Former Ecuador and Honduras coach Luis Fernando Suarez. (Copyright Alchetron)
Photo: Former Ecuador and Honduras coach Luis Fernando Suarez.
(Copyright Alchetron)

Neither Nakhid, Fenwick nor Hill have coached on the international stage before while Vranes has not coached a senior international team during the suggested time frame. However, all five are convinced that they can deliver success to the “Red, Black and White.”

Nakhid, who has a UEFA ‘A’ licence and runs his own coaching academy in Lebanon, pointed out that celebrated Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola would not meet the supposed requirements of the TTFA’s technical committee either and still had his learning plates on when he took over at Barcelona.

He dared the TTFA to think outside of the box.

“I see it as a great challenge to be able to get our men’s national team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup with 24 points left [to play for],” said Nakhid, who campaigned unsuccessfully for the FIFA presidency last year. “It’s precisely the kind of challenge that I have lived and played through and been successful with.

“I think Stephen did a fantastic job in his tenure and I know that I could finish this particular journey with success.”

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago coach Stephen Hart (centre) gives instructions to substitutes (from right) Andre Boucaud, Willis Plaza and Jomal Williams during their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Honduras in San Pedro Sula, Honduras on 15 November 2016. (Copyright AFP 2016/Orlando Sierra)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago coach Stephen Hart (centre) gives instructions to substitutes (from right) Andre Boucaud, Willis Plaza and Jomal Williams during their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Honduras in San Pedro Sula, Honduras on 15 November 2016.
(Copyright AFP 2016/Orlando Sierra)

Fenwick, one of the Pro League’s two most successful coaches alongside Fevrier, suggested that TTFA president David John-Williams would probably be afraid to give him the shot as head coach because he would be too good at it.

“They would not know how to deal with my success,” said Fenwick, a former England World Cup defender. “They are worried about putting me into the job because, if I am successful, they would not know how to handle me.

“They want a brown nose and someone they can pull the strings of, which doesn’t allow the coach the freedom to experiment with the team and really develop the national side.”

Still, Fenwick, who runs his own academy, Football Factory, in St Clair, admitted that the position of Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team head coach remains a burning ambition.

He has coached 10 of the 26 players used in the 2018 World Cup campaign so far, including defender Sheldon Bateau, midfielder Khaleem Hyland, playmaker Kevin Molino and both goalkeepers, Jan-Michael Williams and Marvin Phillip.

Photo: Terry Fenwick (right) salutes the crowd after leading Central FC to the 2014 Lucozade Sport Goal Shield title. Looking on is Pro League CEO Dexter Skeene (centre). (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Terry Fenwick (right) salutes the crowd after leading Central FC to the 2014 Lucozade Sport Goal Shield title.
Looking on is Pro League CEO Dexter Skeene (centre).
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

“It’s the job that I wanted for a long time,” Fenwick told Wired868. “I am an Englishman living here for 17 years and married with a young child. I see myself as Trinidadian and I spend very little time in the UK. I know the players better than anyone and better than they even know themselves; and I know the culture, although I am not a part of the culture…

“They are [probably] looking at a Brazilian, South American or Central American coach, which does not [match our attributes]… We are big, strong, fast and we can compete. But we cannot match those teams on the ball. We have to play the game on our terms, to our strengths and not [try to copy our opponents].”

Hill, a former Jabloteh and Tampa Bay Rowdies coach, claimed to have coached as many as 13 players who were involved in Trinidad and Tobago’s historic 2006 World Cup campaign. He said he is “acutely aware” of the natural talent on the two island republic and wants a crack at taking them to glory.

“The opportunity to coach such a talented group of players in Trinidad and Tobago would be a great honour,” said Hill. “To successfully take Trinidad and Tobago through the Hex and qualify for Russia 2018 is an achievable target with a few tweaks. I am ready for the challenge.”

Vranes, who coached the Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Antigua and Barbuda National Senior Teams, pointed out that the core of the current squad—Bateau, Molino, Aubrey David and Daneil Cyrus—were graduates from his Under-17 and Under-20 World Youth Cup teams in 2007 and 2009 respectively.

Photo: Former Central FC head coach Zoran Vranes. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Former Central FC head coach Zoran Vranes.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

The Montenegrin-born coach, a former Yugoslav Under-23 midfielder, noted that he has coached Trinidad and Tobago at every FIFA level but the senior World Cup and believes he can take the Warriors there, given the chance.

“I have a very good relationship with all the players in Trinidad and Tobago,” said Vranes, who also pointed two Caribbean Cup titles as head coach and one as assistant. “[…] With good physical and psychological preparation, they should all be able to play very well, although they have been playing below their possibilities for a while.

“As a national coach in 1995 and 1996, [I won] the Caribbean Cup both years with 90 percent results and I was also assistant coach in 2001, which was the last time that Trinidad won the Caribbean Cup…

“I think I have a very good relationship with football fans in Trinidad and also their support. I also think that you can talk to players I worked with who are experienced enough to give their opinion about the way I work.”

While the chase for the men’s team is dominating the media’s attention, there is a similar audition taking place in the women’s programme.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago attacker Tasha St Louis (far left) celebrates with teammates after her stunning game winning goal against Guatemala in Houston, Texas on 12 February 2016. (Courtesy CONCACAF)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago attacker Tasha St Louis (far left) celebrates with teammates after her stunning game winning goal against Guatemala in Houston, Texas on 12 February 2016.
(Courtesy CONCACAF)

Earlier this week, Italian coach Carolina Morace, a former international player with 105 goals from 153 appearances, arrived in Trinidad and held a solitary session with the country’s home-based Women Soca Warriors before jetting off.

Morace, who applied to coach the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Senior Team, is a FIFA technical instructor and ambassador as well as technical director for a football league and coaching academy in Australia.

She also coached the Italy women’s national team and led Canada at the 2011 World Cup, when they were eliminated in the group stage.

But, arguably, she is most famous for coaching the Viterbese Calcio men’s team in Italy’s third division, which is believed to be the first time that a woman has coached a men’s professional team.

The experiment lasted just two games before Morace quit, supposedly due to interference in her team selection by the Viterbese football president.

Photo: Former Canada coach Carolina Morace during the 2011 Women's World Cup. (Copyright Zimbio)
Photo: Former Canada coach Carolina Morace during the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
(Copyright Zimbio)

Police FC head coach Richard Hood, who coached the Women Warriors at the 2016 CONCACAF Championships, has also applied to keep his job.

John-Williams has so far been tightlipped on the TTFA’s hunt to fill both head coach positions.

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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.

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301 comments

  1. Terrance Fenwick: Head Coach of Trinidad & Tobago National Football Team
    Zoran Vranes: Assistant Coach of Trinidad & Tobago National Football Team

  2. Earl Mango Pierre i dont think coach hart was ever impressed by our local based players one player i think deserved a chance was jason marcano this brother has been seriously overlooked

    • I think Marcano played against Grenada last year. I think. Marcano can cross the ball better than anyone short of maybe Joevin Jones. So it would have been an interesting gamble to try him with Kenwyne Jones.
      Hart is a pragmatist and he never gambled much though.

    • and why he kept on gambling with Mr, Bound not to score eh, it seems that he had cobweb in his eyes that needed to be remove because not only the people in our sweet country saw the problem eh but the whole World steeuupps. Them really good yes.

    • Well maybe that he didn’t have a clue with respect to putting the right players together eh, and he was accustom to ready made teams the same like some other Coaches who does feel that they are a big Coach when their teams are winning nah. Them really good yes.

    • Kirwin Weston You know I been saying Marcano was worth a call up and u cussing me for years ha

    • Some coaches are pragmatists. He was getting good results that way. We could have experimented with Marcano and saw it flop eh. Such is life. We will never know.

    • I will still cuss yuh bro =D
      He’ll run over men in TTProLeague
      But he tries to do way too much with the ball sometimes. No right thinking coach gonna pick him for high level competition matches…I sorry

    • Marcano actually got his debut under Wim Rijsbergen eh Kirwin Weston. Of course he will have to hold on less.

    • Who is a better winger in the pro league ? Kirwin Weston

    • I remember him getting a cap inder Wim Lasana
      Personally I always hoped he’d stop holding the ball so long and turning back.
      Which team did he break in on though, would love to see the squad and matches they played again

    • Ye I don’t fault Hart for not ever taking a chance within Marcano – it was one of those touch and go choices that every coach makes

      But ever since Peltier became useless after 2014 Caribbean cup final, Cato never truly stepping up – right wing always was an issue until Levi came in this year and Hart chose to move Joevin over to opposite flank

    • Kirwin Weston: October 17, 2007
      Friendly away to El Salvador. 0-0.
      TT: Marvin Phillip, Seon Power, Keyeno Thomas, Keston Williams, Kern Cupid, Andrei Pacheco (Glenton Wolfe 73), Jason Marcano (Kerry Baptiste 65), Stephan David, Trent Noel (capt) (Clyde Leon 77), Conrad Smith (Devon Jorsling 70), Andre Toussaint.

    • Johnny Sample Quest, it’s not a matter of who is better in the ProLeague.
      ProLeague ain’t a benchmark for selection or tells much about quality.
      It’s a matter of whether or not he’s good enough for the national team.
      In my opinion, no…and I sure coaches who coming will think the same

    • Lol!I stand corrected if again,I scouted Jason Marciano at 16 playing for Flour mills and took him under my wings at W.connection where scored with an alarming rate and Kenwyn was my central defender he was axed when I parted ways with them and I again kept him with me before taking to Jabloteh under Terry who transformed him into a winger, he is unorthodox and holds the ball but would score faster than most players in his era

    • This is my problem with people like your thinking no disrespect but how can you say bro pro league isnt a bench mark for selection when every successful team in concacaf has players from its domestic league ? . Is only us in Trinidad fail to see the bigger picture we stuck playing 4-4-2 for 20 donkey years here we have an inverted winger hardworking , creative and pace and he is over looked this man used to tear apart ppl at jabloteh

    • To be honest none of the foreign based players deserve any starting berth over any of our home based players when they them selves are not plying their trade in competitive leagues Mls is something to boast about ?

    • Lasana Liburd was your thoughts on Sean di Silva thats another player i think could be useful he has good ball retention and organization skills someone who can come on and slow down the tempo of the game

    • Man start to get personal because my opinion doesn’t align with his yes =D =D =D

    • Earl Mango Pierre I am a good listener and try to understand everyone views

    • Was that the squad while players were “blacklisted” at the Gold Cup ? Lasana ?

    • Kirwin Weston i am not getting personal bro the truth is you cant bash the league all together because the system has some flaws

    • I know not one team who plays 4-4-2 in the ProLeague though Johnny Sample Quest. At least not consistently. Am I wrong Lasana Roneil Amiel ?

    • Kirwin Weston read over my post properly bro

    • Johnny, I think Marcano is a good player. He’ll kill anyone in the ProLeague with his pace and dribbling skills. I following the man since W. Connection. When he went Jabloteh at U-20 he was hot prospect.
      I find it hard to believe that coaches have come and go and not selected a man who is that good. No modern day coach gonna select and keep him unless he stops holding that ball unnecessarily.
      Tearing apart people in ProLeague, as compared to the international game is certainly not the same, not even on the regional level.

    • 2006 world cup Kirwin Weston we had Aurthis whitley being the best player in that campaign locally based

    • What’s the relevance of Whitley to Marcano being good enough for national call up ?
      Whitley was a whole different ball game, different position, possibly different mindset.
      So I don’t get your comparison

    • Kirwin Weston im drawing a reference to the fact that you said the pro league isnt a bench mark for selection ….

    • Johnny Sample Quest the pro league system have four very important flaws, there needs to be a relegation process, real professional monies for my players, real professional Coaches and it needs to be in the communities where there will always be plenty crowd support for the standards of both the Coaches and our players to be raised at a higher level in order to compete with the teams in the HEX and of course the fields needs to be top of the line in a very quick timing and if many of the players especially the names that you mentioned are to make it in the real professional leagues abroad, other than that we will continue spinning the top in the mud and will also continue to loose when our top teams continues to compete with the Concacaf teams in the pro teams Championships. Them really good yes.

    • In relation to your comment as to who is a better winger in the ProLeague.
      If he’s the best at ProLeague level it doesn’t say anything much about gaining a national call up

    • So Cordell cato better than jason marcano smh ? .

    • Earl Mango Pierre also the pro league is just a league for professionals to have an avenue to showcase their skills,whether it be players,coaches,administrators,backroom staff etc.
      The league should not hold the players or the club’s interest in marketing their product.

    • My police team vs Caledona tomorrow at the Morvant Complex grounds which of course there will be a very huge community crowd support especially against my bomb squad police team that really should be winning all of their games but as usual eh they have a serious scoring my goals problems the same as our national team eh, and even if there is $ 100 per goal incentive given to them. Well I am hoping that there isn’t plenty rain either because the game wouldn’t be exciting eh and this is because of the field conditions, so fuss we are behind in the football times eh, the stadium fields are top of the line eh and there is hardly anyone supporting the football and the community field needs fixing especially Morvant and the Barataria Complex fields eh and they are always getting plenty crowd support and we want our Soca Warriors to really be a force to be reckon with against my real professional teams and countries abroad steeuuppss. Them really good yes.

    • Johnny!
      It about who knows who in this business,I am much aware of what you speak about but everything boils down to if that player is suitable for the coach team.

    • Yeah and just imagine my MLS teams does be sending their 3rd strings team eh and our bootleg professional teams still doesn’t beat them up eh and they feel that they reach steeuuppss look them need to stop fooling themselves eh especially with some jokey trainers that some of the teams have because these players doesn’t be looking fit et all for the modern day fast speed football eh. steeeuuppss. Them really good yes.

    • No, I don’t think Cato is better than Marcano, but that’s a very broad/generic statement I’m making.
      Hart probably had his justifiable reasons why he kept on with Cato.
      But the coach will analyse and decide what he wants out of each player in each position and then select. Maybe what he wanted from Cato, Marcano cannot provide.
      Marcano has good qualities, but I certain half of what he does locally, he ain’t gonna do it for the national team. Hence, he’s been justifiably overlooked in my opinion.

    • Kirwin, Marcano’s cap during the blacklist. He has never been selected in a full strength team.
      The problem with some players is that they are only good when they are on the ball which is about 15 to 20 minutes of the game. But what about the other 70 or 75 minutes? How do they contribute then?
      I think that’s why Marcus Joseph isn’t playing. Because Marcus is more devastating than Jason eh. Although I’d give Jason that he has a decent work rate.
      But we will see if a new coach has any better luck in getting them to fit into his plans.

    • Cato is a hard worker and fast. To me, an international player should bring more to the table than that. But say what. This is Trinidad and Tobago not Argentina. Lol. We have to make the most of what we have.

    • I guess all the coaches before got it wrong in overlooking him.
      What you think Johnny Colin?

    • If Fenwick comes most likely, but that almost certainly ain’t gonna happen

    • But me eh relly see Marcano and/or Marcus step up dey game in de CCL? I find outside de Pro League, Marcus does look kinda disinterested. Ent Hart had ah problem with Marcus’ attitude in training?

    • He doesn’t look confident for real.

      Swear I does be watching a different game sometimes oui

    • If fenwick is the head coach i think he would include marcano

    • If Marcano get pick, he go be de oldest player on de side, unless dey bring back Carlos or Cornell.

    • Nutten wrong with that only in Trinidad we discard experience for youth why he can’t gel the both

    • Smh.
      Alyuh killing me here oui, lol

      • Men arguing for the soon to be 33 year old Jason Marcano, Marcano who has not EARNED a contract out of our Pro League??? At the same time they comparing to Cato, who at 24 has already played over 100 games in MLS. REALLY? What are our standards?

        Nothing against Marcano, I like him as a player but his time has past. Are we preparing for 2022 or are we so naive to think that that we taking 35 year old wingers to Russia 2018?

        For me do not have the organizational capacity on or off the field to qualify for Russia, its time to use the next 8 games in the HEX, Gold Cup Qualifiers, CFU games to prepare our 20-25 year old players for 2022.

    • Akeem Roach could possibly get a shy into this team post WCQ once he keeps developing and sharpening his skills

    • I’m guessing he is playing on top for Angus, Kirwin?

    • Yeah

      Looking a bit so so, but he has requisite qualities.

      I could see him doing good stuff in the future

    • He had real promise as a winger and came close to breaking into our last under-20 team. I got the impression that he was a late bloomer as a player.
      Angus’ game requires speed upfront and that is the formula he always sticks with. So I can’t tell if Roach is a quality striker in the making. Or simply the fastest man at Sando.
      From what I saw in the past, he has potential as a winger.

    • Lasana Liburd off the field issues kept akeem off the u20 and senor teams he was on coach Hart radar but coach said he needed to settle with a team

    • Yuh picking Roach ahead of Marcono Gordon ?

    • Roach in my opinion carrying that Sando team.
      He plays loan striker and does a lot off the ball still. His hold up play is decent although he has a KJ touch at times.
      Sando doesn’t play face up a lot, so he has a lot of turning and running with the balk to do.
      If he gets into Central, WC, maybe Army, he’ll be banging goals

    • He has good potential as a forward to I feel Lasana

    • Yep Kirwin Weston i picking youngsters with scope instead of Veterans any day kadeem corbin in another i picking to be in d pool huge potential and upside!!

    • He was at army was a huge part of their last league win after the passing of kevon Carter well traveled already! Lol played for about four proleague teams already

    • Yeah, will be good if he settles at Sando and keeps scoring.
      Guy has good potential

  3. Lasana Liburd we all agree this epidemic cannot be fix by firing or hiring coaches but a lot must be put in place by a strong Coach my only thing about Mr Hart is that he lost control of the important factors that eventually caused his team to nose dive

  4. it amazes me how alot of people does want to speak up especially those that came from a W.connection background . When you hear people currently or previously speak about W connection is like that are saviours of local football smh …..

  5. Yeah you is so right and that can never happen with respect to your suggestion about the 1 month training eh because the over seas professional players only can come in for the 4 days eh well if of course there was many more local players on the team it could have been done eh Kurtwyn Baird. Them really good yes.

  6. So after we sack the coach, we realise that nobody can get them there anyway and lower expectations? :-/

  7. I am seldom wrong until proven,now that we have gotten over Mr Hart’s failure to control his dressing room and,if it’s true the outside interferences from the president.
    The truth is that the present group of players from my experience lack the football intelligence in transitional play, only compared to the players that are in the Hex,
    I am not saying that our players are dumb or cannot hold out a draw or even a win if possible but to outplay the opponents in this Hex it would be in my opinion highly unlikely…Only but only if a local or foreign coach can convince the powers that may to allow our local players that are selected to be excused from club practices all expenses paid by the government or private sector to be in a month live in camp,and he the coach is a smart person of the modern game tactics,we all know this is not going to happen so why did I even mention it,
    It is because nothing else would work plain talk,
    I have with me an article with JW shaking hands with Latapy when he was our last throw of the dice in 2005 and Latapy said don’t expect any Miracles from him and another article under Beenhakker leadership after the Bahrain draw in T+T he said to the media about the long flight and fatigue “If you have the ambition to play on a high international level,”
    “it’s part of the job!
    “You prepare yourself and you play your brains out.some of them are probably not yet ready for that but if they want to act on this level,they have to learn it”.
    Ok now compare the level of experiences combined with that team to this present team since after the Gold Cup
    So I stand corrected again about the utter nonsense that I speak,but it’s also a job that a lot of coaches know they can’t fix but would be looking for a pay day??

  8. ..Poisoned chalice. But someone has to get it. Let’s just wait and see who the inefficient TTFA will set up next..

  9. Whats Ricky hill track record besides having an unbeaten season previously at the helm of san juan jabloteh ?

  10. And I agree and every Coach should understand it is never nothing personal when they get their throat buss eh they all just have to move on eh. Them really good yes.

  11. Every coach has successes and failures on their CV. That’s life. You just have to look at what the person brings to the table and what you feel they are capable of.
    If they signed Mourinho, some will point to successes at Porto, Chelsea and Inter. Others would point to failures at Madrid, Chelsea and Man U. That’s life.

  12. I want this job. I am the best person to fill this position. I from Canada and willing to make the move back home.

  13. But Terry as the newspaper stated failed in England twice and also in Belgium so why some folks really feels that he would do any better than my Coach Hart eh, well I will say that to give him his chance yes and it will also prove that the problem isn’t with the Coaches eh the problems are always with our players and the TTFA administration and until we once again have the players like back in the days 1973, the Strike Squad 1989. and the Soca Warriors 2006 eh our sweet country won’t ever be going back to any World Cup for a long time from now eh. Them really good yes.

  14. Lasana I have to admit that I have this gut feeling that Terry ought to be given a chance. If you think about it he has always wanted the job. A foreign coach will see it as an opportunity for a job but would not have had any connection with the country unless you rehired one of the old ones. Terry lives here. He is aggressive and wants to prove a point. The only issue is that TTFA may not be big enough to give him a chance. At this stage it is a tall order to qualify for the World Cup. I don’t think people are realistically expecting us to make it. He is also familiar with the culture etc so I say give him a try.

    • Exactly. We need someone who is familiar with the nuances (shortcomings?) of the local game. Which is why I was (still am) a big Stephen Hart fan. A foreign (esp European) coach going and bastardise our game even more and jus buss out at the first sign of trouble.

    • And my German Coach did in fact buss out back in the days eh when he saw our national players bathing by the stand pipe amongst others things eh, He said that the corrupted TTFA isn’t for real eh steeuuppss Them really good yes.

  15. This does not look promising at all.

  16. Hart’s mistake was that he kept doing the same things over and over and expected a good result, despite the writing on the wall. He reminded me of a chronic gambler sitting in front of a machine in Las Vegas, placing coins in, pulling the lever and hoping for the jackpot – becoming poorer by the minute.

    Hart gambled with Kenwyn and refused to see that he was going broke. He needed an intervention.
    The Senior team needed an immediate shake-up, and Hart just would not or could not do it.

    He failed to assess the current situation and respond accordingly instead of trying to utilise past strategies for past successes. A good manager is dynamic, evolving and should be quick in sound decision making to mete current trends.

    He lost his way, and placed unsound hope on a striker who was on his way down.

    Perhaps he will learn from this and enjoy World Cup success with another team.

  17. For the record, kept a financially strapped Portsmouth in the Championship (Div 2) at that time while developing young players. Raised £10.5 million pounds by selling players I developed to keep the club afloat. Portsmouth crashed down the divisions since due to financial issues.
    Northampton, change of ownership immediately after I was appointed who wanted their own coach, job lasted 6 weeks!
    CS Vise, left them in 8th position in the table, hadn’t been paid for 5 months before I left the club. All fact no emotion Ian Prescott….

  18. Well tbh Debbie… we weren’t glorifying the incoming insomuch that we were happy with his(DJW) arrival, it was more like we were celebrating the (RTK) outgoing… the two emotions could be mixed up… da come like when Kenwyne get sub for Plaza in the last home game… the noise could be seen as cheers for Plaza or as but jeers for Jones… but it was noise… so who could tell???

  19. Good luck finding someone of merit who is willing to sacrifice half as much as Hart did personally for the benefit of Trinbago football…while still waiting to be paid! Trust me, a Beenhakker type individual will not put up with the kind of bullshit the TTFA is meting out!

  20. Typical Ian Prescott article with no research, inaccurate and little truth. Clearly out to knock the best option available but hey…. what else should I expect.

    • That’s the reality of TT football news in 2016 as it been for a good few years now

      If Lasana ain’t write it on wired then reasons to second guess article in newspapers can be strong

    • Terence William Fenwick – You real good yes. A little humility will serve you very well. Are you Gary Griffith’s twin brother? lol

    • Lol Carlos I think he tried the humility approach for 17 years and got nowhere. ?

    • Carlos Lee sorry Carlos but after 17 years of mismanagement, deception and corruption, forgive me for my direct approach. My frustration is born out of the many youths that are directly effected by the inept, dishonest, self satisfying administrations that have let these youngsters down, I’m
      Am sorry if I come across like a tyrant but these boys deserve better than the establishment are providing!

    • I QUESTION why of all the local-based coaches named in this article ONLY Terry Fenwick’s CV came under such DETAILED analysis??? Stevie Wonder ?could see that was an orchestrated smear campaign??

    • Thank you Brian, it’s not about me or DJW or the usual suspects in administrative positions…. it’s about the Players and the supporters of T&T football. We all want our teams to compete and do well, and we want our players to better themselves through a positive, productive, program we can all subscribe to knowing it’s doing good things.
      Bachannal, crabs in a barrel, eat a food, are all part and parcel of T&T culture, not things that work well when developing relations and building teams that help each other to win and succeed. Look how the situation has deteriorated since Stephen Hart’s departure? Sad!
      I’m not of that culture, I have always done my best to raise the standard and positively impact on youths.

      I am saddened by the decline of our national teams and indeed the players who inevitably will miss out on opportunity.

    • More importantly, qualification games coming up, preparation key to success, fingers crossed this situation gets resolved quick

  21. Orrrr you could apologize to Hart and give him his job back…..

  22. Wonder what Leo Beenhakker doing??? They should pay him whatever he wants and bring him back as technical advisor if not coach. He worked magic before….

  23. Wait that’s the list to replace Hart ??? ??? TTFA really jokey

  24. My final comment. The same man everyone was glorifying this time last year they are now demonizing without knowing all the facts. Not you Lasana Liburd you’ve been a real trooper and for that i thank you. But i have to leave this place now because i’m too emotionally involved. Such is life in sweet TnT..

  25. Maybe if the self proclaimed “best Foreign used coach” to take over the job ensured his players were in top form fitness wise Hart would not have been fired today. As Hart’s main complaint was the players coming to him especially from the pro league were lacking in stamina compared to their competitors. I dare anybody to argue that. Anyway who ever is selected probably won’t last a month under DJW and his regime.

  26. Outside of hart, Nakhid has my vote.. however names like Suarez will resonate better with the insecure men down home.. Hart could have done it with his own people supporting him but they decided to be crabs

  27. Agreed Travis. Earl Mango Pierre, I’m sure you didn’t mean to be offensive and were just clumsy there. But please tell us again that you don’t mean to offend all Muslims and people from the Middle East.

  28. Mr Liburd as a Muslim I take offence to the statement made by mr mango ,the last time I was reprimanded when I had a running battle with those jokers from central fc.

  29. We have ah Mickey Mouse administration. Fire the coach with no sucession plan. Now we hoping to find the right person. Any forward thinking administrator would have held discussions with other coaches or their reps prior to making this decision. #jokers

    • So when was d best time to fire him ???? Before the honduras game ? Or a month before our WC qualifier ???

    • You believe that he was fired based on the results of the last 2 games or a totality of the past year? Answer that then you’ll know the answer. It aint rocket science

    • Well Brent Bennett his performance as coach was poor for 2016, playing 13 games, loosing 8, winning 3 and drawing 2….that deserved firing

    • You can’t please Trinis Brent.
      If he had done it that way, you would’ve heard the same cries as to why didn’t they fire Hart if they looking for a new coach etc etc

    • Trini Don – you’ll have to agree that the team’s poor form began when the new TTFA administration came into power and started interfering with the senior team program.

    • Carlos Lee NO I wont agree with that !!! Because in 2013 we played 14 games…win 4, loss 7 and drew 3….2014 we played 9 games win 5 loss 3 and drew 1….and those 5 games we won were all caribbean teams ranking over 100….shall I continue ??? And 2015 we played 11, win 4 loss 4 and drew 3….one of those wins was against cuba ranked 125 in the world…..so your point has absolutely no validity in it….Lasana Liburd Earl Mango Pierre Lyndon Pk Williams

    • ..Sooooo, maybe the players ain’t as good as some of us (including the players) like to think?..

    • Carlos Lee, more than half the losses Trini Don mentioned in 2013 came before Hart was appointed. But don’t stop him. He is on a roll! ???

    • Cuba was a Gold Cup quarterfinalist though. The reason they are ranked so low is down to their governance structure which doesn’t lend itself to playing many international games.

    • In fact Cuba were Caribbean champions just three years ago. When last were we champions?

    • You are very wrong Lasana Liburd, hart was appointed on june 18, 2013….his first game was 8 July 2013….so in other words, just 3 games of all of 2013 that hart was not in charge ok….im happy to keep u straight??

    • Lasana Liburd what medalnor throphy do u get for being a quaterfinalist in the Goldcup ????

    • Since when being Caribbean champions is something to pop champagne bottle about Lasana Liburd….unless we can matchup with those Central American teams on a regular basis, i see nothing to celebrate eh….just saying, im not accepting mediocrity !!!!

    • Trini Don, you’re celebrating your inaccuracies. Trinidad played Peru twice, Belize, Romania and Estonia before Hart was appointed. They drew Belize and lost all the rest.
      And I don’t see how you can admit that Hart didn’t coach all the games yet still claim you’re right.
      And why do you think the fact that Cuba were Gold Cup quarterfinalist and Caribbean Cup champs is a relevant counter to you pointing out their FIFA ranking?
      I good star. You rewrite history if you want yes. Too busy this morning.

    • I said he was appointed on the 18 june Lasana Liburd in an earlier comment….so all the games after that he has to take responsibility for….and those were 9 of 14 games he was head Coach !!

    • And if a team like cuba ranking 125 and do as u claim….it means to tell u how much crap TnT was playing at the time….sufficient evidence….i have time for all who want to talk crap today about quality of tnt football…

    • Trini Don – As I indicated earlier, the performance of the team took a precipitous drop when the new administration came on board and started interfering with the team. And here’s the facts: From July 2015 to March 2016 the national team was on the accent – winning 6 matches, tying 5 and suffering just two losses (one of which was a penalty shootout against Panama at the gold cup). From May 2016 to now the team went on an unexpected decline, with 7 losses, 1 draw, and a single victory. You know what happened around the May 2016 time-frame? That’s when our good president attended a national team practice and asked the coach to step aside so that he could chat with the players (it is alleged that he was trying to convince them to go against the coach’s wishes to play an extra friendly match in Asia – after two scheduled friendlies in South America and one a few days later in China). That incident my friend was the beginning of the decline of the national team. The Molino incidents further contributed to the current demise.

    • So bc djw had a chat with players from that period, they loss to usa, costa rica, and honduras and drew with guatemala ???? All those team rank lower than us save and except for guatemala ok….so miss me with that Bullshit ok….u are just speculating ok….where was molino in the usa game and guatemala ???? Carlos Lee

    • Hey – just highlighting potential cause and effect. Might just be coincidental, but it’s sure interesting how the tables started turning just around that time.

    • Carlos Lee we need a coach who can take us to that level of beating teams 40 and under, not only teams over a 100 in rank….just watch the ranking of the teams in the HEX

    • Here’s what you said Trini Don: “Carlos Lee NO I wont agree with that !!! Because in 2013 we played 14 games…win 4, loss 7 and drew 3…”
      Here is what really happened: win 4, lost 3, draw 2… One loss to mexico (away), one on penalties to UAE (in Saudi Arabia) and one to Haiti (away)…
      In that same period, we beat Honduras, beat Jamaica home and away, drew with a New Zealand team heading for a FIFA Play Off and beat Saudi Arabia in Saudi Arabia.
      Sackable form right Trini? You’re talking nonsense. If you think the case for sacking him is so strong, then why do you need to make up results to justify it?

    • I didnot know the liburds and the Hart’s are related….

    • The Liburds and facts are related. I keep track. Aren’t you glad that I can correct you?

    • Lasana Liburd i said earlier in the thread Hart was in charge from 18 of june 2013…so incorrected myself….but u chose to comment on an earlier comment before my correction….such is life…#lifeinjournalism…but his entire tenure is : 42 games played…16 win, 18 loss, 8 draws… is that good enough ??? Clearly not…..esp when one considers the ranking of the opponents they won against

    • “Incorrected myself”.. What is that lol

    • Typo Brent Bennett should read “i corrected ‘

  30. Getting more interesting eh, my dictator president should just reinstate my Coach Hart yes. Them really good yes.

  31. Oh boy! Now David Rudder has thrown his hat in this national coach ring ah ding. What suspense!!

  32. Buh wah wrong with David Nahkid eh first he wanted to be the President of FIFA eh, and now he is trying to be the next Coach of our Soca Worries, the next thing we will have the “Taliban” representing our sweet country, look David try yuh best and stay in the Middle East and continue to develop the youngsters eh. Them really good yes.

  33. This line should immediately make Fenwick fav for the job because it is absolutely true but some coaches are delusional and DJW and his crew seem delusional too in their obsession with “a knock and brand” and want us to look like BRAH ZIL when we don’t have the footballers to play quick tempo possession especially with the likes of Kenwyne up top . We have to be a very direct aggressive compact team against these superior opposition . If we want fucking Brazil football then we better sort out our coaching education and focus on technical skills at pace and with intensity at all youth levels .

    Anyway here’s the quote lol
    “They are [probably] looking at a Brazilian, South American or Central American coach, which does not [match our attributes]… We are big, strong, fast and we can compete. But we cannot match those teams on the ball. We have to play the game on our terms, to our strengths and not [try to copy our opponents].

  34. Cornell Glen, is it difficult for players when the coach doesn’t speak English and has to use a translator? What do you think Anton Wolfe?

  35. I would love it if Terry got it . He deserves the chance

  36. How come Trevor Sayers name not on de list?

  37. Hell of an appointment with the Women’s role if it falls through.

    But Hood get the axe jusso ?
    Rob-in Hood ?

  38. Latas with the resent u 17 performance ? Stewaty with w connection recent performance in the resent concacaf club championship the other names on the list whdn last were they sctive at intrre level ?

  39. Best sentence in this piece Lasana “Nakhid, who has a UEFA ‘A’ licence and runs his own coaching academy in Lebanon, pointed out that celebrated Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola would not meet the supposed requirements of the TTFA’s technical committee either and still had his learning plates on when he took over at Barcelona.”

  40. I wonder what Dunga and Rijkaard were looking for–if they knew those agents were shopping them around for starters.

  41. I waiting to see if/how dey funding this exercise, and if dey will give de coach de resources needed, and if it will be drama-free. Last time dat happened was under Beenhakker. #DemRellyGoodYes

  42. True, but look at the type of coaches (foreign) fishing for a Job to elevate there resume..which when i look at is very how i put it……Scrappy!!!! i say is High Quality Coaches fishing for the Job!! sigh.

  43. Hmmm.
    Interesting developments.
    I’m pretty certain a foreigner will get the nod.

  44. Colombia I have a flashback with a fella with an Afro.

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