‘UN-‘RAVELED’ – Jamaica Observer

REGGAE Boyz midfielder Ravel Morrison says the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) should have turned to former national players as part of the technical staff for the final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying between September and November last year. He believes a combination of Adrian Mariappa, Paul Hall and Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore could have helped Jamaica secure qualification.

Whitmore had had three stints with the national team — winning the Caribbean Cup, and qualifying for the Concacaf Gold Cup final and semi-final in 2017 and 2019, respectively, as well as helping Jamaica get promotion to the A League in the Concacaf Nations League — before he was replaced in December 2021 by Hall, his former 1998 World Cup teammate.

The 32 year-old Morrison made the last of his 21 appearances for the national team last year before being overlooked by fellow Englishman Steve McClaren for the World Cup qualifiers late in the year.

McClaren tendered his resignation after Jamaica finished second in their Concacaf final-round group, held 0-0 at home by first-time qualifiers Curacao in their final group game and thereby failing to get an automatic spot to the World Cup.

Rudolph Speid, technical director of Jamaica Premier League champions Cavalier and then chairman of the JFF’s Technical Committee, was named as the interim head coach for the FIFA Intercontinental Play-offs set for March when they will play New Caledonia of Oceania Confederation, with the winner set to play the Democratic Republic of Congo for a place in the World Cup.

During an episode of the Filthy Fellas podcast recently, Morrison, who has played five times this season for United Arab Emirates (UAE) second division side Arabian Falcons, blamed McClaren for Jamaica’s failure to get an automatic qualifying spot from the Concacaf play-offs to the World Cup to be played in the USA, Canada and Mexico starting in July.

“Steve just come in and do the madness,” Morrison said while pointing out he had a good connection with fellow midfielder Bobby Reid on the pitch. “He just changed the whole team; he just changed everything.”

Jamaica midfielder Ravel Morrison (centre) attempts to outwit the Mexico pair of Luis Romo (left) and Orbellin Pineda during their Concacaf Nations League Group A match at the National Stadium on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

While not ruling out a return to the team, Morrison, who was described by French World Cup winner and fellow Manchester United academy member Paul Pogba as, “the best player of my generation”, said the former players should have been given the nod.

Morrison mentioned Mariappa who has taken up a coaching position at Watford Football Club, serving as the assistant manager for their under-21 side and who holds a Global Football Sports Directorship Diploma.

“You know who I think should get the job? Mariappa; he should be a part of [the coaching set-up]. And I would bring back Paul Hall or Tappa [Whitmore] — one of them two,” Morrison said.

Morrison, who was playing for another UAE second division team, Precision, during McClaren’s stint, said the coach had suggested he would need to be playing in a more competitive league if he was to be considered for selection to the team.

One of the panellists also suggested former Tivoli Gardens and Jamaica striker Ricardo Fuller — who also had a successful career in the United Kingdom playing in England and Scotland — as a good fit for the Jamaican head coaching job. Fuller is now a part of the technical set-up at Stoke City FC, where he is a former player.

Morrison, who has played for eight different clubs in England, also thought that while he could still play football in England, ruled out playing in the Premier League.

Former Reggae Boyz Head Coach Paul Hall (left) and former player Adrian Mariappa in discussion while leaving the field during a game in their FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign at the National Stadium. Garfield Robinson