Hankinson demanding more from MBU players
Montego Bay United (MBU) technical director Tim Hankinson, who took charge of his first RSPL game with the St James club in a 0-0 draw with Boys’ Town at Barbican Complex on Wednesday, said that he is looking to reshape the team and include more young players. However, the American, who is back for his second stint at the club, said that the senior players have a very important role to play in helping the younger ones to understand the demands of Premier League football.
“It is not the same group of players,” Hankinson told STAR Sports. “Yes, there is core that is here when I was here (last time). You saw a lot of those players on the park today (Wednesday) because those are the players I know best, and that is how I wanted to get started again. But we are also missing a lot faces from that team two years ago.
“You also have to see that we are a senior team, so we are two years older and maybe two steps slower and from that standpoint it is not the same team. So we have to get to know the young guys and stabilise the team, and their results with the senior guys, and draw on their pride and commitment to the club,” he said.
MBU currently sit one place above the relegation zone with 23 points from 21 games. They are seven points clear of 11th place Sandals, and Hankinson said the players should be ‘angry’ at themselves and more determined to turn around the fortunes they have had thus far.
He said that he will be demanding the highest standards from the players every day in training and hope that the results will start to show on the field.
“The club has never been in this position and we have to be upset about and angry about that and do something about it. We tried to take the first step forward today and had no goals against, and I am pleased with that. We have to start finding the back of the net if we want three points and that is the only way we are going to get out of the lower half of the standings and into a play-off spot.”