Rivoli’s new boss Thomas targets top-six finish
HAROLD Thomas, newly appointed head coach of Rivoli United Football Club, said that his team will be looking to make further inroads in closing the gap between the Spanish Town-based side and the top teams in this Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) season, which kicks off today.
Former head coach Calvert Fitzgerald did what he had to do last season and guided Rivoli United to safety outside the drop zone in ninth position on the 12-team grid.
However, this will be a big season for Thomas, who hopes to get Rivoli United into the top half in the standings this season.
“I don’t want to sum up last season. Last season we finished in ninth position out of 12 teams, and that is no concern to us as this is a new season and we have to think about going forward.
“The objectives probably will remain the same, but with (good) work ethic and mentality we will do better,” Thomas told the Jamaica Observer.
“This season I am hoping for a top-six finish in the league. It is not going to be easy, but we have the players and they are more than capable of such a task,” he added.
Thomas stressed that it is very important to start the season on a winning note.
“The team has been training well from last week. We started training a little late, probably the same as the rest of the other teams, but our players are good enough to catch up, so we are not worried about readiness.
“However, the important thing is to begin the new season on a winning note. Once we can get that win in our first game that will build the confidence within the team and also build the confidence of each player as well,” he explained.
As to Rivoli United’s chances of becoming RSPL champions, Thomas is under no illusions about the immensity of such a task.
“We are here to compete… I mean, wherever that takes us. We have never played a game without the intention of winning, and that is our goal, to win as many games as we can this season.
“It takes many, many things to win the Premier League, hopefully we can put all those things together in the space of the season; we all know what it takes and the players know as well,” he ended.
