| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Karl |
Posted - May 28 2003 : 12:02:36 PM
Countcoolout
Maxwell speaks out
Wednesday, May 28, 2003, 6:34:37 AM
IP:24.114.202.137
Taken From The Jamaican Star
By AUDLEY BOYD, Staff Reporter
Fabian Dawkins and Geofrrey Maxwell - File
CONTRARY TO REPORTS he was removed as head coach of Village United for 'not seeing eye to eye with players' and 'not motivating the team', Geoffrey Maxwell says a threat to drop star player Fabian 'Ronaldo' Dawkins was the chief factor behind his dismissal.
Maxwell chastised mainly Dawkins, who was reported to have missed several scoring chances, and midfielder Daniel Ricketts in media interviews following their 0-2 first leg loss to Hazard United at Jarrett Park on Thursday, May 8.
Frankly
He also promised to cut both from the team for the return leg Wray & Nephew National Premier League semi-final.
'I had said very frankly and openly that 'Ronaldo' would be dropped because he was selfish,' Maxwell responded as to what he believed was the major reason for his dismissal.
'I was just as disappointed in losing the game as the team and I put the blame on Fabian Dawkins because I told him to stop the individualism. I questioned his national selection as I felt this was not the level of performance expected as a national player.
'If management is going to get to the point where they're going to release a coach because a couple of players can't get their way or are reprimanded then why are we talking about professional football,'? Maxwell asked sarcastically in an exclusive interview with STAR Sports.
Betrayed
He admits to feeling 'very disappointed and betrayed' as he had defended some players when management wanted them 'kicked out' and spoke to 12 who said they 'never had a problem with Dawkins being dropped as the team came first'.
He says returning to Village was like 'going into an ants nest' as he was not fully welcome mainly because some members of the management staff had a 'misunderstanding' as to his reason for leaving.
Maxwell, who did a short stint there the previous season when he lifted them from second to last to within three points of the semis, said his mission then was to help them 'avoid relegation' and having done that he was free to go. He said some management staffers believed otherwise, saying he had 'walked out on the club'.
Decorated
A former national coach, Maxwell is one of the most decorated trainers here, having won titles from schoolboy Manning Cup level at Excelsior to the NPL at Waterhouse.
It is not the first time he has been removed as coach for publicly lashing out at players. Similar cases occurred at Tivoli Gardens earlier this season and Arnett Gardens almost three years ago.
He said his style of publicly criticising players was not meant to 'disrespect' anyone but was par for the course.
'If this is what these players call disrespectful then they should go on the international circuit,' he charged, pointing to Barcelona coach Radomir Antic's response in football magazine World Soccer to the question of why he criticised players publicly... and a follow-up asking 'don't you think it's better to keep your criticisms to the dressing room?'
Antic responded thus: 'A manager gets plenty of public criticism, so why should the players escape? Anyone who doesn't like hearing the truth isn't going to go far either in the game or at this club in particular while I'm in charge.'
Maxwell's philosophy is the same. And he does not intend to change either.
No stopping
'Why should I stop,' asked Maxwell. 'As long as I'm coaching, discipline, attitude and commitment of players have to be of the highest degree. I'll not treat any prima dona players or star player different than any other member of a team.
'The same way in which a player wants praise is the same way he must be strong enough to accept criticism.'
Besides openly criticising players, Maxwell listed instances which prompted firm action from him that might have made him unpopular with some of the teams he had coached.
At Village he said he dropped players for matches for turning up only twice per week and refusing to follow instructions, suspended them for disrespecting other players and refused to let them train sometimes depending on how they reported to training.
He said he had done that at other clubs before and pointed to an instance when he dropped a player for showing up in the changing room smoking herbs.
No teamwork
'I believe the football fraternity tend to idolise or make certain players believe they're a cut above anything to do with teamwork,' Maxwell observed.
'Most of our football loving public live in a dream and because of the lack of knowledge of the game in Jamaica people who are responsible are afraid of losing popularity within their communities.'
He added: 'My personal belief is that a coach is there to develop players in a team system both tactically and professionally. Most of the coaches are not only weak but cannot handle senior players in squads.
'I've won so many trophies by being professional, then why should I be amateur?,' asked Maxwell.
'For coaches to succeed, management have got to stop interfering. Management must back coaches when they take harsh decisions. That's the only way coaches are going to achieve.' |
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| zouse |
Posted - May 28 2003 : 7:41:22 PM
Damn, Maxwell for president! |
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