Goals still needed - Price calls for more ruthlessness from Reggae Boyz attackers

Little by little, the disjointed performances of the first few games in the Reggae Boyz's FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign have given way to more cohesive team play.

Analyst Andrew Price views this as evidence that the Boyz are starting to gel but he says they need more goals.

"Over the six games, I think the team has improved and has gelled," Price said as he reviewed a campaign that has yielded four goals and five points.

For him, the slow pace of integrating new United Kingdom (UK)-based Boyz into the team is no mystery.

"It would have been better if we had gotten in these players a lot earlier so they could have been at the Gold Cup, so we would have been able to have seen them and identify them, and build some camaraderie," he said.

Heartened by what he witnessed when Jamaica drew 0-0 with Canada and when the Boyz downed Honduras 2-0 away last month, Price said, "we only have two to three days once they are released from their clubs. It's going to take a lot of time for the team to gel but I can see a little chemistry taking place."

Price lauded the defensive resolve that has produced clean sheets in the team's last two games and wants the Boyz to match that with goals when they meet El Salvador in San Salvador on Friday.

"The adjustment has to be made where we can play both sides of the field, where we put in a good defensive shift, and we also put in some offensive forays on our opponents," he said. "I don't think we're getting enough shots off on goal and we need to start getting more into the final third of the opposing team and I think it all speaks to the amount of possession that we have with the football."

From Price's viewpoint, Whitmore's best attacking options are the UK-based pair of Michail Antonio and Kemar Roofe, and Shamar Nicholson, who scored against Mexico and Costa Rica.

The Reggae Boyz return to Jamaica to face the US on November 16.

sports@gleanerjm.com