Harbour View FC Head Coach Ludlow Bernard says migration of quality players will not prevent the club from trying to win the 2015-16 Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) title.
Bernard conceded that the former Premier League champions have been affected by either players having trials or by them signing contracts with overseas-based teams.
Kevaughn Frater, a midfielder converted to a forward role, and midfield player Jorginho James are two recent examples. With the injection of inexperienced players into the set-up he conceded it would be difficult for Harbour View to win the RSPL this season.
“We’ve been working with the talent that we have,” he said during the RSPL press conference held at the beer company’s hospitality lounge on Thursday. Bernard said there is the possibility of losing players in the course of the January transfer window and noted the challenge of replacing them.
Infusing a bit of humour into his reasoning, he explained that a club with the history of Harbour View still holds ambition of success on the pitch even during phases of rebuilding.
“If you look at the sequence of years that we have won; we won in 2000, and again in 2007, 2010, 2013. So if you follow that kind of order it stands to reason that we should be winning in 2016,” he suggested.
His wry smile was met by chuckles around the room.
“But from a realistic point of view…we are making every effort to ensure that the rebuilding of the team is up there and we try to hold onto our players for as long as possible. If we continue along this vein we should be able to get it right, but for this season we are still going to make every effort [to win],” Bernard said.
Harbour View, who are fifth in the league table with 26 points from 20 games, previously won the national title in the 1999-2000, 2006-07, 2009-10 and 2012-13 seasons.
The top four teams at the end of 33 preliminary games are to advance to the semi-finals of the RSPL.
Source: The Jamaica Observer