Jamaica's coach Theodore Whitmore - file

Western Bureau:

Reggae Boyz head coach Theodore 'Tappa' Whit-more must be a man highly favoured by the sporting gods, as every time it seems that he is about to fall prey to the wishes of his critics, something happens to spare him from their daggers.

After earning the wrath of many for the team's less-than-impressive showing in last Friday's 2-1 loss to Guatemala, the rumblings for his removal from the job had got so loud that I am sure Jamaica Football Federation boss Captain Horace Burrell must have felt some amount of pressure in contemplating the future of the 1998 World Cup star.

In fact, I strongly suspect that the token support the team got for Tuesday night's game against Antigua and Barbuda, at the National Stadium, was a less-than-subtle message to all and sundry that it was time to roll Tappa and the Boyz under the bus had they failed to qualify for the final round of qualifiers for Brazil 2014.

However, as fate would have it, while a win against Antigua and Barbuda could have still left Jamaica out in the cold if there was a draw in the game between the United States (US) and Guatemala, everything basically worked for Jamaica, with the US winning handsomely against their opponents and the Reggae Boyz did likewise.

Unlike most of the persons with whom I have discussed the Jamaica versus Antigua and Barbuda game, I don't believe it was a vintage performance by Jamaica, albeit winning 4-1. In fact, based on the number of defensive blunders the team made, we probably should be very thankful that it was not a stronger team we had to handle.

Nonetheless, I am very happy, especially for Whitmore and the JFF, because had we failed in that great escape bid, which was so graphically captured in photographs in Wednesday's edition of The Star, the implications would have been devastating. Surely, Whitmore would have lost his job and the entire national programme would have been thrown into disarray.

As nervous as I was going into Tuesday night's game, I was still pretty confident, especially after hearing Whitmore stating with Muhammad Ali-like confidence that "We will be making the final round." In addition, based on the pride factor involved, I fully expected the United States to beat Guatemala.

Unlike some of our local football analysts, while I believe Jermaine Hue deserves credit for his input in Tuesday night's win, I don't see any reason to be castigating anyone for leaving him out in the past. While he is probably the best local-based midfielder at this time, he is far from exceptional, especially for persons like me who watched the likes of Hector Wright, Calvin Valentine, Alton 'Noah' Sterling, Winston Anglin and Allan 'Ply' Latty week after week.

With a few months to go before the start of the final phase of the 2014 campaign, I believe our coaching staff needs to sit down and take a critical look at the games we have played, video clip by video clip. I believe there is a need to do a lot of tweaking, if not major chopping and changing, if we are to measure up to and conquer the likes of the US and Mexico.

Having buckled to the public pressure in drafting Jermaine Hue into the team, I would like coach Whitmore to think seriously about recalling temperamental striker Marlon King, who is now in exile. While King probably does not deserve another opportunity based on his disciplinary history, his quality as a striker might be needed against the teams we are poised to face.

As I reflect on the first three games Jamaica played in the last CONCACAF Gold Cup Tournament in the US, when the Reggae Boyz looked almost invincible in dazzling our opponents with speed, I am just hoping that the coaching staff can lift the team to that level again as we seek to duplicate the France '98 campaign.

Nb Feel free to send your feedback to adrianfrater@hotmail.com