Arnett’s new man in charge asks for patience

AMID JEERS from outspoken fans calling for his head, Arnett Gardens head coach Phillip Williams has asked for patience from the team’s community as, he said, the team is hard at work to recover from their poor run of form.

The ‘Junglists’ are enduring a horror start to their season, following their failed Caribbean Football Union Club Shield title defence along with two consecutive defeats in their opening games of the Jamaica Premier League (JPL).

Williams, who came in to replace Xavier Gilbert before the start of the season, has come under pressure from fans in just his fifth competitive game in charge of the club.

This comes after they were thrashed 5-1 by Racing United last weekend before falling 3-2 to Cavalier on Monday.

A small but fairly outspoken number of fans at Sabina Park were calling for the coach to be sacked following their defeat to Cavalier.

However, Williams has asked for patience as, he explained, the team is still recovering from a number of key losses in the transfer window.

“Arnett Gardens is a team in transition. We have lost some key pieces, and we’re trying to put the team back together with some new guys. It’s taking its time, so we just need to be patient.”

He added, “It doesn’t matter which community it is, this is a result-oriented game and positive results are what the spectators are asking for. It is something that needs to be fixed.”

Warner Brown, Kimani Arbouine, Roje Williams, Philando Wing, Earl Simpson, Marlon Allen, and Shamari Dyer are all key players to have since left the club this window.

Despite their departures, Williams is aware expectations from fans will remain high in a club accustomed to success.

This, he explained, is the reality all head coaches have to face in a sport where fans will always demand positive results.

“It’s always a pressure job. Before the season starts or during the season; it’s always a pressure job,” the Arnett boss said.

“Yes, there is pressure there. We always want to do good, and we’re not doing good at the moment. But the pressure we’re having is because of our ambitions and we’re working to fix it.”

Williams explained one of the key issues with the team has been their defensive performances.

Having conceded eight goals already, Arnett holds the worst defensive record – a major concern for Williams.

“We just have to be ruthless and more protective of our goal area,” he said. “We know the defensive unit is a problem. We’re going to work hard at fixing it and see if we can keep a clean sheet.

“We’re going to still continue to play, create our chances, and hopefully, we can convert those chances in the next game.”

Arnett’s next fixture will see them taking on Harbour View at Stadium East in an away game.

The Junglists will be hoping they can topple the ‘Stars of the East’, who are also hunting for their first win of the season.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com