Hallgrimsson commits to tackling longstanding problems

FROM ADJUSTING to the climate, to seeing his son already training with top-flight local clubs, national senior men’s head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson’s acclimatisation to Jamaica, his second national team head coaching job, has been going swimmingly.

However, there are the dark shadows of longstanding issues within Jamaica’s football and the coach has committed to applying fixes in a bid to elevate the standards of the Reggae Boyz.

It has been over a month since Hallgrimsson arrived in Jamaica for his first full year as head coach after a hurried start to his appointment last September. He was immediately thrust into the fire, facing Argentina in New Jersey, a 3-0 defeat, and Cameroon in November, a 1-1 draw.

Since his arrival in January, he has scouted a number of Jamaica Premier League matches to assess the local talent as well as having a local training session with select players. But the time has been also used to adjust to his new environment.

“The people have been really polite. The weather as well is already the biggest difference. You always wake up with the sunshine. That does not happen in Iceland, so that is different,” Hallgrimsson noted.

“But there hasn’t been anything negative toward the family.”

What he has been most proud of is how well his son has taken to life in Jamaica, with him even training with Mount Pleasant and Cavalier, a far cry from what they were used to while in Qatar for his last managerial stint with Al-Arabi.

ADAPTING WELL

“He came from a totally different culture in Qatar. We were there for three years. He adapted to that culture and surprisingly well done to him, he has adapted to this culture as well. Totally different,” Hallgrimsson said.

His insistence on everything being done at a high level has led to him noting difficulties, which include the issue of proper fields in Jamaica.

But, Hallgrimsson has also noted positives, saying the local talent was fast and possessed good technical ability.

According to Hallgrimsson, while he may seem to be nit-picking, it was necessary to ensure Jamaica were not left behind regarding modern football practices.

“When you take on a job, you have to be ready to go into the unknown and that is how you develop as a person as well. This is new to me as well, so what can we do? We can complain about it, or we can start to do something about it,” Hallgrimsson said.

“And that is my job. To influence action, to fix it and bring in solutions. Football has developed so fast. It is beginning to be extremely professional in every detail. So we need to be careful when we select players from abroad. We have to step up our environment. That means coaching. We have to step up our things. In the hotel, in the flights, and on the pitches, in what we do, and how we behave.”

It is a part of the grand design that Hallgrimsson has in a year which will see Jamaica locked in the Concacaf Nations League competition as well as the Gold Cup this summer.

“This is what we need to do here in the federation and we have to step up in all these things, so we are up to date with that is happening in modern football,” Hallgrimsson said.

Hallgrimsson will open the year with a two-game series against Trinidad and Tobago on March 4 and 11 before their Nations League game against Mexico later in the month.