Hall set to start long rebuilding process
Published:Saturday | March 19, 2022 | 12:10 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
When the Reggae Boyz lace up for their next Concacaf World Cup qualifier next Thursday against El Salvador at the National Stadium, coach Paul Hall will be looking to kick-start a long rebuilding process.
With just seven points from 11 matches, the Boyz are no longer in contention for a World Cup berth and Hall plans to develop a younger, more competitive squad as he eyes the 2026 World Cup which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Hall, however, is not planning to have a massive clear-out of the older players, he hopes instead to use them to help the younger inexperienced ones make a successful transition into international football.
“I have a succession plan. My job is the long-term development of this team. Michail Antonio is one of the players at the stage where he may only have a few more years. So it is important that we look at other people and see who wants Antonio’s place.
“But we are not getting rid of anybody because when you have a succession plan, you need the older players to bring through the younger ones. Succession planning is not about getting rid of older players, sometimes they add value by helping to bring younger players through.
“If a young player can play or train alongside Antonio, it would mean a great deal and would help those players,” he pointed out.
Hall named 16 senior players for Jamaica’s upcoming Concacaf World Cup qualifiers against El Salvador at home on March 24, Canada away on March 27 and Honduras at home on March 30.
Although West Ham’s Antonio and a few other regulars were left of the list, Hall insists this is an opportunity for others, especially local talent, to compete for places.
“Players in this country are as good as the players that have been left out of the squad. I believe it’s finding them and giving them the opportunity.
“It is also important to have competition in and around the team all the time and get players to understand that if they do not perform, there will be someone knocking on the door ready to come in.”
He noted that the average age of most top European football nations is 25, and he wants to build a squad that will have at least two World Cup cycles.
“That is why I am currently looking at the under-20s. We hope these guys can grow and become a conveyor belt so that it will be much easier for us to qualify.
“So in the next five years time, we hope to see some consistency. We hope to have teams go far into competitions on a consistent basis. This is a long process that I am working towards and I want to be in position to see it happen,” he said.