MBU entering JPL with new approach
MONTEGO BAY United (MBU) will return to the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) for the 2021-22 campaign after two seasons out, and former captain and now coach Dwayne Ambusley is enthused by the club’s new approach.
Ambusley, who led MBU to the title in 2014 and 2016, said the new system will focus more on player development and less on title success.
He believes this will ensure the club’s existence and competitiveness i n the topflight. With this new structured approach, Ambusley is confident they will become an even better club.
“It was hard for us to not be in the league,” Ambusley told The Gleaner. “So we are trying to have a sustainable programme for the senior team.
“This is not about winning, we have done that already. We are trying to be better than we were.
DEVELOPING PLAYERS
“The main focus will be developing players to get out of the island, as that is one thing we did not do enough, even with all the dominance we had, we did not get enough players out, so we want to focus more on that.
Ambusley says that the club is putting youth teams in place at the Under 10, 15, and 20 levels to transition into the senior team. There will also be a general recruitment of young talent.
He says the new MBU team will have none of their senior players from the 2014 and 2016 title winning sides, as those players have lost interest or reached retirement age.
“We have young players who have been tested in the Premier League already, and we want players with a natural enthusiasm to play for MoBay — players who want to make an impact.
“We also want to ensure relegation does not occur again and we want to be the team people talk about.”
Since the relegation of both MBU and Reno in 2019, western Jamaica has been without representation in the top-flight, and Ambusley said they have the added responsibility of preserving the region’s status.
“Since we fell out [of the league], there has been no western team,” Ambusley says. “We have to be watching on TV and people in the west have been left behind.
“We will be the standardbearers for the west, which is going to be difficult, so it is going to take a lot of commitment from everyone to make it work.”
MBU were given the spot in the JPL after their play-off opponent and parish rival, Wadada, failed to complete their registration on time.
There was no relegation at the end of the just concluded JPL season but a spot was made available after UWI FC withdrew just prior to the start of the competition.
The playoff game was scheduled to be played today.