Local coaches question timing of Hallgrimsson’s departure
FORMER Reggae Boyz forward Sean Fraser and veteran football Coach Andrew Price believe that Heimir Hallgrimsson’s resignation as head coach of the national senior men’s team comes at a less than ideal time due to the team’s ambitions of qualifying for the next World Cup.
Hallgrimsson ended his near two-year stint with Jamaica on Sunday following their defeat to Venezuela in the ongoing Copa America.
Despite 11 defeats the Icelander had 11 wins and seven draws from his 28 games, which included semi-final runs in the Concacaf Gold Cup as well as the Concacaf Nations League and which qualified them for the Copa America, where they went out at the group stage.
Price, who has had coaching stints with Boys’ Town and Humble Lion in the Jamaica Premier League, believes Hallgrimsson deserves a passing mark for helping to advance the programme, compared to what was in place at his arrival.
“I think there have been some improvements along the way. He had taken a team that was new to him, brought in new players, brought in players that weren’t playing for us previously, looked at young players from our Premier League and utilised them, and gave a lot of youngsters opportunities,” said Price.
Though satisfied with Hallgrimsson’s achievements Fraser, who played for Jamaica between 2000 and 2012, believes his tactics weren’t overly effective.
“The system of play he came up with doesn’t suit the type of players we have. Our players are skill players — a lot of dribblers and passers of the ball — but his type of play [is not like this]. If you watch Iceland play years ago it was a lot of passes; short, long passes. We were never a country of that type of football so I think he needed more time to accomplish that,” reasoned Fraser.
Price, who also had coaching spells with the Reggae Girlz and Beach football teams, says Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) will need to act quickly as he says it could affect the team’s preparation in qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“It’s an unfortunate situation, and the JFF has very little time to find a new coach because we have the Nations League in September for the next two windows,” he said.
“We don’t play our next qualifiers until next June but the new coach has to come in and exercise his own philosophy and what he wants to do, with the players he wants to do it with, so it makes it difficult for someone coming in. But with the period between World Cup qualifiers I believe it’s enough time — but that individual needs to come in as soon as possible.”
With JFF in search of a new head coach, Fraser, who has won the local top flight as Harbour View’s assistant coach, believes a member of Hallgrimsson’s coaching staff could be the best option due to the potential difficulties a fresh face may encounter.
“I wish [Hallgrimsson] had stayed and completed what he had started because somebody else coming in, it has to be somebody who was around him because anybody who comes in has to start over with their philosophy, or they will have to try to take up the mantle with what he was doing,” he said.
“It is very unlikely that a person that comes in is going to know all the players right now. My take on it is: You don’t want to start over because every time you reach square three or square two, you gone back to square one and start over again, which doesn’t make any sense. We need continuity, we need stability, we need to have a proper squad, and we need to involve local players more,” Fraser added.
Price, though, believes there should be a well thought out recruitment process to ensure the right appointment is made.
“We need to get the best coach available — whether if that individual is local or overseas. The JFF must sit down and assiduously look at the best person that fits that role. Look at resumes, address them, see their compatibility with our culture and what we want to achieve over the next two to four years, make the proper assessment, and choose the coach. Then, [give] him all that he needs to assist in qualifying the team for the 2026 World Cup,” said Price.
“There has to be some continuity long term because, if we look over the last 20 to 30 years, I have looked at the tenure of coaches — especially overseas coaches — and none have ever gone to the extent of their tenure other than Rene Simoes. All of their tenures have been cut short.”