“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career; I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And this is why I succeed.” — Michael Jordan
There is no blueprint for failure.
But let us be equally clear—there is no blueprint for success either.
What separates the two is not simply money, structures, programmes, or glossy presentations. It is will. It is competence. It is leadership. And perhaps most importantly, it is the people involved at all levels of sport.
With no disrespect intended to the proponents of Artificial Intelligence (AI), football achievement cannot be generated by an algorithm. You cannot put Trinidad and Tobago football into a spreadsheet, shuffle a few names around, change a few titles, create another committee, and suddenly expect excellence to emerge with the same people and thinking.
Football is played by human beings (for now, at least) and it is ultimately led by human beings (again, for now at least—although the behaviour of some may suggest another species of mammal).
Therefore, we need to stop pretending that our current malaise is simply bad luck due to injuries, suspensions, and other make-believe excuses that cure our minds of the pitfalls in front of us in football and the stark reality of the erosion of our football identity and heritage.
Proponents of “pretty football” and heavy “transition football” must not merely read a football coaching textbook; they must learn that it is the footballers who set the style, pace, and performance based on their physical and mental abilities. Too many people in T&T have lost vision and relevance by ignoring results in favour of style and entertainment.
Nobody wants to be demoted in any sport or job.
On Sunday, T&T were demoted to League B, while Guyana and Barbados passed us on the elevator up to League A using pragmatic football.
When I hear people forget about results and success while focusing solely on style, I am reminded that in life, it is what we work for and achieve that makes us successful, not their sometimes endeavours. Nothing will ever beat hard work, determination, and, in particular, effort. Unfortunately, many of the “old stagers” in T&T football are so far behind in their thinking that “transition football” sounds to them like flying to the moon for the first time.
Perhaps we need to stop blaming circumstances.
Perhaps we need to stop searching for another convenient excuse.
Perhaps we need to open our eyes and realise that the rest of the Caribbean region has not only caught up with T&T in football, but has surpassed.
Because at some point, somebody has to accept responsibility.
Because at some point, always waiting for next time will not be enough.
The uncomfortable question is not simply: Why are we failing? The uncomfortable question is: Who has been responsible for the decisions that brought us here?
Many of these decisions date back to the Normalisation period—a time of bitterness and spite in our football, where groups of “big men” beat their chests and sought to undermine one another if they could not get their way.
It was a selfishness defined by one-upmanship and self-professed intelligence that paid little mind to the words “Country first,” but rather gravitated to “If I can’t be in control, I will mash it up.” These neophytes and parasites in T&T football are well known, no matter how much they try to dress themselves up through words or actions.
Therein lies another problem: the egotistical abhorrence that still prevails among many of these elders prevents anyone from supporting them, even when they present good ideas. However, it is too late for these shedding male cats to adopt a conciliatory tone, because football does not care about titles. It does not care about political connections. It does not care about who sits around the table or how impressive a strategic document looks.
Football eventually tells the truth. When results repeatedly disappoint, when performances fail to inspire, and when the same problems continue to resurface, we must have the courage to examine the people, the decisions, and the culture that produced those outcomes.
You cannot keep rearranging the deckchairs (are we on the Titanic?) and convince the public that the ship is sailing in the right direction. You cannot keep moving people from one position to another and call it reform. And you certainly cannot confuse activity with achievement.
T&T football does not need another exercise in musical chairs. It needs vision. It needs competence. It needs accountability. It needs courage. And above all, it needs the right people in the right places—people who understand that representing T&T football is not a position to occupy; it is a responsibility to carry. Right now, that responsibility demands some very uncomfortable questions which need to be addressed.
First, I believe the T&T Football Association (TTFA) has to do the following:
• Assemble some independent, knowledgeable football persons in a 5- or 6-man committee and give them oversight of the current ineffective technical committee.
These people can be coaches (past and present), administrators (past and present) and players (past and present)
• Perform a deep dive on the quality of football from primary, secondary and club level.
• Engage transparently with both the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and SporTT (Sport Company of T&T), because their financial support will be critically essential going forward.
The above meetings must be completed with findings and resolutions within 7-10 days, with a subsequent release to the TTFA executive and ultimately to the people of T&T.
Many are calling for “heads to roll” and resignations but in the Caribbean that does not happen in sports, so I believe that is wishful thinking. But one truth we know is that the TTFA—in administration, management and coaching—needs help more than ever and, therefore, to do nothing is to concede defeat and in that case they should all leave.
This is not only about the future of many youngsters, this is also about a country that loves football and is hurting in the current environment, every time they witness another T&T Team fall by the wayside, in all age groups—boys, girls, men and women.
Adversity, crisis, which is where we are in T&T, should not be allowed to continue as is, with a set of Gold Cup pre-qualifiers against various teams in League B, etc; we have to make changes, or we will suffer more indignity in the future.
Being ashamed to ask for assistance must not be the order of the day anymore.
T&T must come first, or get out!
