THE WAY FORWARD FOR THE LONE STAR

By Elliott Acoleste

We have made several mistakes in the past, some of those mistakes were: We did not develop a team long enough to establish chemistry within the team. Instead, we used a deferent team in every game by bringing in new players all through a tournament. Coaches and technical staff carrying baggage’s of past issues against players by allowing personal and past issues to come before the team. As a result, the best players were not used. Poor planning and organization, fair preparation (preparation improved), lock of vision, and finally, the LFA need a mission statement for the LONE STAR which will lead and guard the team in the right direction.

For God sick, we must be professional and let by gone be by gone. We should put the past behind us and move forward. You don’t have to like me to play me, play me because I am the best player at a position available. The team needs to develop chemistry and be able to keep possession of the ball. To achieve this goal we must keep a team together to develop chemistry. The team must play together throughout a tournament without changing the players after every game. Changing the team each game will break up the chemistry that was established in previous matches. Not having chemistry was a major reason why we did not do well in the past. Dropping a player for no apparent reason is bad for the team as a whole. Look at the professional teams and other countries like Italy, England, Ghana, Ivory Coast and also the previous LONE STAR (WEAH ELEVEN), one could and can almost always predict the starting lineup because they use the same players in every game. Notwithstanding, there may be one, no more than two changes for tactical reasons in a game or two.

A few tough and talented players like Koko lomel, Murphy Nagbe, Theo weeks, Oliver Maker, Sunday Seah, and some players from Asia were dropped from the team for no apparent reasons. All of the above players are active. The team was forming identity and beginning to understand their team mates than suddenly key players were just dropped, very unprofessional. The little chemistry that was developed was all gone. A new one was to be develop in the middle of the tournament, but did not because new players were constantly brought in.

The way forward is to select a pool of 30 – 35 players for the national team. This pool should be based on form and the players should be active. We should be very professional about this, personal issues and issues of the past should be left beheld and forgotten. From this pool of players twenty two (22) should be picked to form the active national team, the Lone Star. This active list of players should have the starters and role players.

We should develop a team and stick with that team for the duration of the upcoming world cup qualifier. We need a team and not a group of players put together just before a match. Our chances are better to start a tournament with a group of players and end the tournament with the same team (players). Those players will develop chemistry and understand each other’s abilities which are very elementary in the game today.

My choice of the active twenty two (22) should be as follows: Goal Keepers: Sunday Seah, Nathaniel Sherman, Defenders: Jimmy Dixon, Teah Dennis, Ben Teekloh (also defensive midfielder), Solomon Grimes, Patrick Gerdhardt (also defensive midfielder), Omega Roberts, Murphy Nagbe, Alex Karmo, Midfielders: Dulee Johnson, Oliver Makor, Al-Hussein Keita, Theo Weeks, Strikers: Francis Doe, Dioh Williams, Sekou Jabateh Oliseh (also a midfielder-right winger), Anthony Laffor (also a midfielder-right/left winger), and Amadaiya Rennie (also a midfielder-right winger). The following strikers should be added if FIFA approve their application; Alex Nimley (England), Ola John and Collins John (Netherland). The LFA Secretary General, Idrissa Kaba needs to lead the way and apply to FIFA for these players to play for Liberia. These following players (Isaac Pupo, Zah Krangar and George Baysah) should be on standby ready to replace the three players from Europe if we are deny by FIFA. In addition, eight (8) to thirteen (13) more players depending on the total number of players selected for the pool as discussed in this article 30 or 35).

The LFA and/or the technical staff also need to get in touch with all three of said strikers now and begin to negotiate with them trying to convince all three into playing for Liberia. Of the three, Collins John is the only one that has play for a senior national team, the Netherland. He played two games. Both games were not FIFA matches. He may still be eligible to play for Liberia. We need to engage FIFA and find out. We must start planning for the world cup now and not wait for the ninety nine minute.

Preparation for the world cup should start with the game against Mali in October of this year. We need to put our best team against Mali and should use same team against Mauritius in both home and away matches during the world cup preliminary in November of this year. This same team should be the world cup team if we go pass Mauritius. Keep that team together and arrange as much test matches as possible. Chemistry will be developed and each player will be comfortable on the team because everyone know everyone. Any replacement should fight for a spot and not be given the spot easily. Team chemistry should be the focus from now on. No more new team at every game, keep the same players together no matter what. Players use must come from the 22 selected active pool. Only the best players that are in form, no personal issues should get in the way of the team, the team and Liberia comes first.


These are my starters (first team) selected from the active 22 players:

*4-2-1-3 formation;
Goal keeper: Sunday Seah
Defenders: Right back Solomon Grimes, Central backs; Jimmy Dixon & Omega Robert or Alex Karmo, left back Ben Teekloh (Teekloh will be similar to Grimes on the right side, they both can run up and down the lane and support the midfield and offence)
Midfielders: Theo weeks and Al-Hussein or Patrick Gerhardt while Dulee Johnson or Sekou Jabateh plays up front behind the three sticker
Strikers: Dioh Williams, Francis Doe & Antony Laffor
Note, if FIFA approves those three strikers (Alex Nimley, Collins John & Ola John) in Europe, they will have to challenge the three strikers for spots.
Subs: Nathaniel Sherman, Alex Karmo or Omega Roberts, Murphy Nagbe, Oliver Makor, Al-Hussein or Patrick Gerhardt, Dulee Johnson or Sekou Jabateh, Amadaiya Rennie

*4-4-2 formation:
Goal Keeper: Sunday Seah
Defenders: Right back Solomon Grimes, Central backs; Jimmy Dixon & Omega Robert or Alex Karmo, left back Ben Teekloh (Teekloh will be similar to Grimes on the right side, they both can run up and down the lane and support the midfield and offence)
Midfielders: Antony Laffor (left winger), Oliver Makor, Dulee Johnson & Sekou Jabateh (right winger)
Strikers: Francis Doe & Dioh Williams
Note, if FIFA approves those three strikers (Alex Nimley, Collins John & Ola John) in Europe, they will have to challenge the strikers for spots.
Subs: Nathaniel Sherman, Alex Karmo or Omega Roberts, Murphy Nagbe, Al-Hussein, Patrick Gerhardt, Isaac Pupo, Amadaiya Rennie

We will have to play this same team in all of the games beginning with the Mali game, including Mauritius and the test matches if we eliminate Mauritius all the way to the world cup qualifiers. By the time we get to the qualifiers the chemistry of the team will be in place and we will be a tough nut to crack. We also have to take every game serious. I have selected tough, tall and big players because the world cup zone that we are in includes big teams such as Senegal, Angola and Uganda.
We should put up a challenge for a place in the next world cup if we follow this plan. A hint to the wise is sufficient.