Dover - ‘’Barbados were tougher opponents than T&T!’’

Dover – ‘’Barbados were tougher opponents than T&T!’’

Feb 01, 2015 Sports

By Santokie Nagulendran
Head Coach of the Guyana National Team, aka Golden Jaguars, when they reached a record-high 86th in

Assistant Coach Wayne Dover has cited Gregory Richardson as the most talented player of his generation

the FIFA World Rankings, and Head Coach of Alpha United, the first Guyanese club to reach the CONCACAF Champions’ League group stages, Wayne Dover is undoubtedly Guyana’s most talented tactician. In the midst of a hectic schedule with the National Team, Dover, recently announced as Assistant Coach for the Golden Jaguars friendly against Barbados taking place this evening, took some time out to answer questions on the state of the National Team:
Santokie Nagulendran (SN): Firstly Mr Dover, who approached you to take the role as Assistant Coach and was it an easy decision to make?
Wayne Dover (WD): Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz, and I decided from the first word to take the position because that’s my brother.
SN: This past week has seen intense training sessions for the newly assembled National Team, who has impressed you so far?
WD: A couple of young players were good throughout the sessions taking place over the past week: the likes of Daniel Wilson, Sheldon Holder, Emery Welshman and Calvin Shepard (all of whom made the final 18-man squad for the game tonight).
SN: What are your thoughts on tonight’s opponents Barbados?
WD: I don’t know at this moment how they play as a team, but what I can tell you is that playing Barbados at home, (where Guyana won 2-0), was our toughest game in the 2011 group stage of the World Cup Campaign, so we’re not expecting anything different this time.
SN: Even tougher than playing Trinidad and Tobago that year?
WD: Yes. Many didn’t see that game vs Barbados so they will disagree, but I was there through the entire round of qualifiers hence the reason I can say that, based on my analysis of all the games played.
SN: Many fans have been asking why Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson is not in the squad for the Barbados game, as he is a highly regarded goal-scorer, do you have any remarks to make on that topic?
WD: In my honest and humble opinion Gregory Richardson is the best player of his generation: myself and the Head Coach share that same opinion, so we know all about him and as such there’s no reason to give any exposure to him in this Barbados game. We have decided to give the exposure to a few younger players this time, but definitely Gregory is part of the programme once he and many others demonstrate good attitude and behaviour.
SN: Are the coaching staff looking to also add any more overseas-based players to the squad for the June World Cup qualifying game against St Vincent and the Grenadines?
WD: Most definitely, once there’s a need to do that and depending on if we are retained for the job after the Barbados game.
SN: When you were Head Coach of the National Team a few years ago, you had a 59% win ratio, the highest of any manager in Guyana’s recent history; do you feel you should have been given the Head Coach Role?
WD: I’m a coach who wants to give to my country, in whatever capacity I’m called on to fill I’ll respond positively. The Normalisation Committee was asked by FIFA to help fix football in Guyana and I’m grateful the NC gave me the opportunity to play my part. Right now Jamaal is the Head Coach and I support him in that position 100%, when the time does come for me to return to the helm once again I would like for the same support from whoever would be my assistant then.
SN: Thanks to Mr Dover for his open and honest answers and I would like to wish Guyana all the best as they take on Barbados tonight.