Downes outlines criteria for next Mt Pleasant coach
Published:Friday | August 20, 2021 | 12:12 AM
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Mount Pleasant Football Academy Technical Director Wally Downes says that their next head coach must be able to take advantage of their academy structure, having had four years to build the programme. Downes is the interim head coach of the team...
Mount Pleasant Football Academy Technical Director Wally Downes says that their next head coach must be able to take advantage of their academy structure, having had four years to build the programme.
Downes is the interim head coach of the team after the departure of Paul Davis and his technical staff on July 15 after only three games in charge in the 2021 Jamaica Premier League season.
Having indicated that he does not plan to stay on as head coach for the long term, Downes said that he has been heavily involved in the search for the club’s next head coach. While not giving a timeline as to when an appointment is expected, Downes said yesterday that they are in the process of narrowing down candidates who will not only be interviewed, but given the appointment to display their tactical acumen with the team as part of the process.
However, Downes said that their ideal candidate must be able to nurture the young talent coming from their school, which was set up in tandem with the club in 2016.
“The next appointment is going to be very important because we are in a transitional period now, where we have some players coming through the academy,” Downes said. “The academy has been going for four years now, but this is the first year that we have players that are of an age where they can compete with the first team.
“The new head coach will need to be proficient, and his coaches need to be proficient with the nurturing of young players coming into the first team from the quality set-up that we have at the school.”
While he has stressed the academy as a major focus, Downes says that domestic and regional success is still a major goal for the club, who are in fourth place with 11 points and three matches remaining in the regular season. Downes said previously that the club would appoint a local coach.
“He must also be able to drive the first team forward in looking within the league to get the club in Concacaf competitions and making us a dominant force in Jamaican football,” he said. “Every team is looking to be successful. We are no different.”