By Neto Baptiste
Newly-appointed coach of the Sandals/Inet Grenades FC, Derrick Edwards, is expecting a good all-round performance from his team in this year’s Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Shield slated to start on July 25 in Curacao.
Speaking with Observer media ahead of the team’s departure this week, the former national coach said his players have been working hard in preparations for their opening fixture against the Guyana Defence Force.
“The guys, they are putting in the work so I can’t complain about that. I would have liked another two weeks in order to get what I really wanted to get done, but I have to work with the time that I have to work with. We had some fresh guys who came in and joined the team so it is going to take some time for the chemistry to come together and for the guys to do wonders,” he said.
Edwards, a former Grenades head coach in the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association’s Premier Division, added that the team may not be perfect, but it is quite capable of getting the job done.
“I think out biggest strength right now is our defence; I really think we have a good defence starting from our goalkeeper. In the midfield we are pretty good and on the front line I think we are a bit, not to say we don’t have good players at the front but in terms of a clinical finisher or a top class number nine, I think we just fall short right there,” the coach said.
Grenades earned the right to play in the CFU Club Shield after winning the 2022/23 Premier Division title. If successful against the Guyana Defence Force, Grenades will advance to the round of 16 where they will face SV Real Rincon out of Bonaire.