Morvant Caledonia coach wants flair and speed

Latchoo, who will play a 4-3-3 system and not the 4-4-2 system previously employed, got his first test yesterday against Point Fortin Civic when the Digicel Pro League 2016/17 season kicked off with a South-vs-North double- header at the Mahaica Oval in Point Fortin.

“My philosophy at Caledonia is to improve the possession to penetrate,” explained Latchoo who has replaced coach Jerry Moe this season. “…because we are accustomed with the possession and knocking [the ball around]. But now we want to add a little more flair to the football, a little more speed in the attack and [knowing] when to penetrate especially down the flanks and through the centre.

We want more stretch, more attacking, more entertaining football.” The 33-year-old Latchoo, a former Joe Public (Pro League and Super League) and Barackpore United (Super League) head coach, was a member of Moe’s coaching staff at Morvant Caledonia United in the past three seasons as assistant coach and served as Director of Youth Football—a position now taken over by long-standing servant of the club, Moe.

Latchoo, back with the status as the youngest head coach in the Pro League, also had coaching stints at the national level—in both the male youth and women’s divisions— and is a Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TT FA) coach instructor.

“Our long term strategic plan is about building our staff to improve their competencies and this exercise is to complete that part of the process,” explained Morvant Caledonia United boss Jamaal Shabazz. “It was a perfect switch for both individuals.

We need a little more management focus on the senior level, and for the youths we need more dynamism for the drills.” Shabazz, Morvant Caledonia’s technical director and former Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana national team coach, continued, “In the last two years we have made a more serious approach to youth development at the club. And by taking the person (Moe) responsible for drilling the style of play for so many years at the senior level and putting him in the youth programme shows where our head space is at the moment.

“Jerry is in his second season [at the Secondary Schools Football League] with San Juan North Secondary and Latchoo has also had experience with Joe Public and Barackpore United. We are confident that on both counts, youth and senior level, we see this move will bear dividends.”