Waterhouse keep faith with Ainstein

Waterhouse Football Club will stick with Argentine coach Javier Ainstein for another season, said club chairman Bruce Bicknell.

Ainstein, who previously coached in Panama, took over the Drewslanda-based club in the middle of the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season, with them struggling outside the playoff places and had only won once in their last seven matches.

After replacing Marcel Gayle in late December, the team took six matches to register their first win under Ainstein, but after that first win against Chapelton Maroons in late January, the team went on a run where they won nine of 11 games, and had a regular season record of 15 wins, two draws and four losses under Argentine. The team went into the playoffs as firm fourth-place qualifiers.

Despite losing out to defending champions Cavalier in the quarterfinals, Bicknell said the overall impact of Ainstein was tremendous and that it only made sense to keep him on so he can continue the work he has started.

However, Bicknell said greater human support will be given to the Argentine next season, as the club believes Ainstein is still getting a grasp of the Jamaican football culture.

"Yes. He is coming back," Bicknell declared. "His performance as a coach was excellent and the players bought into him and love him. He really did an amazing job. He is a disciplinarian and technically brilliant as a coach and a very hard worker.

"He loves the players and loves Jamaica and I see no reason why we shouldn't take him back on."

Bicknell noted that although the coach was exceptional in his first season and given a free rein to manage the team, there were instances in the playoffs where his inexperience with Jamaican football showed, and that they will be taking steps to ensure he has a firm grasp on the nuances of Jamaica's football.

"He wasn't perfect. There were certain things we learned that we can improve on. Coming to Jamaica was very new for him, so it was a learning experience for him and I am sure he learned a lot of things, how to improve what he does.

"He took us from a low place in December to fourth before the playoffs, but mistakes were made and there were some decisions that we thought could have been different, but we have learned from that and we are going to meet with him, work them out before he starts back in July, so we are all on the same page moving forward," he said.

He added that the coach will be provided with the resources he needs next season to make a more serious challenge for the title, and the club will be looking at both the overseas and local markets to strengthen their squad.

"There are existing overseas players like (Omani) Leacock and Kvist (Paul), they will be coming back, but we are also going to be looking locally, recruiting strongly locally as well. 

"We have started the recruitment process already, so the work has started. A few days after we lost the playoffs, we started the recruitment process and we have high expectations for both the coaching staff and players for next season," he said.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com