Latest News
‘Whoever we play we plan to win’ - Reggae Boyz coach McClaren striving for winning mentality
September 02, 2024
New Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McLaren wants his players to understand that whether they start or come off the bench, they are just as important.
In fact, McClaren, who brings experience as a coach at English Premier League giants Manchester United, insists that subs can are just as critical, as they have the opportunity to decisively change the outcome of a match.
McClaren's observation fits into one of the critical planks -- his philosophy -- of driving the success of the nation's senior men's football team towards World Cup qualification.
Key to that is a winning attitude; and infusing that mentality with the natural strength of Jamaicans, their athleticism, to generate attacking plays at speed; and of course, taking care of the football
McClaren faces his first test as Reggae Boyz coach on Friday when Jamaica tackle Caribbean neighbours Cuba in the Concacaf Nations Cup at the National Stadium.
Commenting on the role of substitutes, he said: "Modern football is not about the 11 who start, because of the five subs and the size of the squad, it is about the squad. We call them starters and finishers.
"The starters are the 11 who start. The finishers come off the bench. If you are 1-0 down, they (finishers) come on and make an impact and you win the game.
"So where players used to be really disappointed at not being named in the starting 11, the bench is where the most important players are. That is the key to it," McClaren charged.
"There are no better or worse, everyone is in the squad, everyone is equal and everybody plays a part," he emphasised.
"Everyone must be aligned together from myself, the supporters, staff, the federation, down to the players. We all have to be moving in the same direction," he commented.
A big part of that movement, the Englishman believes, is crafting a winning mentality among the the stakeholders aforementioned.
Most of the squad members are based overseas and despite having no practice game and only a few days of preparation with the players, the coach said the intention is to win this and every other game that he will be in charge of the Reggae Boyz.
"In the first respect it is going to be difficult. But nothing is easy and the start is always difficult.
"We are number one in the Caribbean, so everybody wants to beat us. It was the same at Manchester United, everybody wanted to beat Manchester United and it is the same with Jamaica," he observed.
"So that means you need an attitude from the player that no game is easy. And my expectation is that every game we plan to win, wherever we go, whoever we play, we plan to win," he reiterated.
"We prepare to win and our expectations are we will win that game. It might not happen but we have to deal with that and then we move on to the next one and when we plan again our expectations are exactly the same, we want to win again," he said.
He continued that player not only play for themselves, but for the supporters. He also said it is crucial that fans turn out in numbers and get behind the team every time they play.
"There will be a lot of times when we are 1-0 down and we've got five or 10 minutes to go and that (supporters) is the strength of the team. With five or 10 minutes to go that is when the top teams win and that is the kind of mentality that we need to instil, not just in the players but in the nation, the supporters who come and watch," he said.
"There is nothing better than winning a game and going to your supporters and acknowledging them, and then going into the dressing room and celebrating with each other."
That is part of the philosophy he wants to develop, with players at the core.
"If no one has attitude on the field, attitude for each other, attitude to work, if no one has attitude and no one wants to run, you won't get in the team. You have to have attitude. You have to run," he declared.
"What is the strength of the Jamaican player - speed and athleticism and I have seen that in the games I have watched.
"So those three things we will work around in terms of a philosophy. The system might change but it is the principal, it is the philosophy and the philosophy is attitude, being hard to beat; taking care of the ball; and using speed to transition. And speed and transitioning is vital. If we get them three things that is the philosophy," he said.
