Ricketts backs Paul Hall for top job
Published:Sunday | May 1, 2022 | 12:10 AMDaniel Wheeler - Staff Reporter
According to Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts, it is not a matter of if, but when Paul Hall will be tasked to take over the national senior men’s programme.
Ricketts made the revelation at yesterday’s official launch of the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association Valeo Youth Football Development League.
Hall took charge of the Reggae Boyz in December on an interim basis following the departure of Theodore Whitmore after the first eight games of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers resulted in just one win.
Ricketts said that, while they have had discussions with various candidates, Hall has been the front-runner for the job and there is movement towards removing the interim tag.
“We have had some extensive discussions with some prospective coaches, but I can hint to you that Paul Hall is the leading candidate. And we are preparing a contract and we will be making an announcement in short order,” Ricketts told The Sunday Gleaner.
The revelation comes as Jamaica will begin their next cycle this summer in League A of the Concacaf Nations League.
Before then, however, the Reggae Boyz will have two friendlies, against Catalonia on May 25, and Uruguay on June 1, both being used as tune-ups with Hall being tasked to oversee. There are also plans afoot for a third friendly.
RICKETTS OPTIMISTIC
Ricketts said the finalisation of a long-term deal for Hall would be dependent on the technical committee’s assessment, but he says that he is optimistic that the approval of Hall would just be a formality.
“If I were to have the last say, I would say that. But, certainly, it would depend on the recommendation from the technical committee. That’s the way we are hoping it will go. That’s the way we think it will go,” Ricketts said.
“We are just hopeful that we formalise his appointment very soon.”
JFF general secretary Dalton Wint, in a Gleaner interview on April 2, said Hall would have been considered because of how he acquitted himself during the final six games of the campaign.
“Paul Hall is a good person and he has equipped himself well, and so all of these things will be taken into consideration,” Wint said.
Hall only managed to win once in his first seven games in charge, but still received the backing from national and Aston Villa midfielder Leon Bailey.
After the Reggae Boyz’s 2-1 win over Honduras on March 30, Bailey said Hall and the coaching staff had improved the team’s confidence.
“He has been doing a great job and we are pleased with what he has been giving. I can’t complain because they are pushing the players and they are also letting the players feel comfortable and confident,” Bailey said.
After Jamaica’s unsuccessful 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign, Hall indicated that he wanted the job full time, expressing his desire to continue the groundwork laid to build a core unit that can not only qualify for the 2026 World Cup but also contend for continental championships.