Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor

WHILE HE remains hopeful Jamaica will revive their chances in World Cup qualification, Reggae Boyz head coach-in-waiting, John Charles Bryan Barnes, is focussing his attention on the Digicel Caribbean Cup.

The finals of that competition will be played here in the first half of December. It serves as a qualifier for CONCACAF's flagship tournament, the Gold Cup, that is scheduled for the United States next June.

"I'm looking now to have a major impact in the Digicel Cup," the 44-year-old Barnes told The Gleaner in an interview by phone yesterday.

Jamaica-born Barnes, who played for England at the 1986 and 1990 World Cup finals, will take up duties here on a one-year contract as head coach of the national senior team on November 1.

First as head coach

A two-time League and FA Cup champion who has represented British clubs Sudbury Court, Watford, Liverpool, Newcastle and Charlton Athletic, Barnes' appointment is his first as head coach of a national senior team.

In his only stint as manager, Barnes coached Scottish club Celtic in the 1999-2000 season before leaving on a disappointing note after being sacked. According to stats published online on Wikipedia, his 29-match record included 19 victories and eight losses.

Excited to lead

Now, he is excited at the prospect of leading the Reggae Boyz.

"I'm delighted. I've been ready for the job in the past," stated Barnes, whose name had been bandied about for the post of technical director here on several occasions.

"If you look at the quality of the players, not only Marlon King but there's Luton Shelton, Ricardo Fuller, Ricardo Gardner, Damion Stewart, Jermaine Johnson, Ian Goodison and there are others. They have the players so I'm looking forward to working with them.

"I believe in them, I want them to believe in themselves," he said.

When Barnes takes charge, the Jamaica team will only have one outstanding CONCACAF semi-final round Group Two qualifying match - on November 19 against Canada.

"I have expectations of myself, the team, the players, I want them to be disciplined," noted Barnes. "I 'm hoping they can improve."

The Boyz are now precariously placed, lying bottom in the quadrangular group play-offs with one point alongside Canada, both of whom are five points behind second-placed Honduras and well adrift of leaders Mexico (nine points).

Difficult position

All the teams have played three matches and only two will qualify from the group.

"I'm taking over now when they have drawn one game and lost two," Barnes pointed out. "It's going to be very difficult for them to qualify now."

Jamaica drew 1-1 with Canada, then suffered respective 3-0 and 2-0 defeats to Mexico and Honduras.

Following the string of poor results on the road, last week Thursday Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Captain Horace Burrell sacked Brazilian technical director René Simoes, who had also functioned as the team's head coach, and four other members of his coaching staff who were Brazilians.

They were assistant coach Alfredo Montesso, goalkeeper coach Chico Santos, Walter Gama, who was in charge of all youth programmes and his son, Luciano Gama, who handled the women's team.

Nicknamed 'Digger' by his Liverpool teammates off the character from the TV series Dallas, Barnes, who attended St. George's College in Kingston before migrating to the United Kingdom, is unable to take up the coaching reins now because he has commitments as a broadcaster on Channel Five in Britain.

In the interim, Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore, the former Reggae Boyz captain, will function as head coach until Barnes becomes available. During that time, Jamaica will play qualifiers against Mexico on October 11 and against Honduras on October 15, matches they must win to boost their very faint chances.