EXPECTATIONS are always high in the “Jungle”, and this truncated season of the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) will be no different as the pressure will be on a young Arnett Gardens team to deliver the goods.

Head Coach Alex Thomas revealed that his team is in transition, but with high standards set over the years they have to step up to the plate and deliver — irrespective of the conditions.

“The fans always expect good performances from us; expectations are high same way [although it’s a shortened season],” said Thomas.

“Our expectations this season is to qualify for the top six and be satisfied with a semi-final or final spot, because we have to set our standards high to achieve our objectives. But, winning is the ultimate goal,” he noted.

Arnett Gardens Football Club, which was formed in 1977, won the first of their five titles the following year in 1978 and more recently in 2001, 2002, 2015 and 2017.

But the team has lost a number of senior players in goalkeeper Damian Hyatt, Ricardo Oldham, Al Nesbeth, Timar Edwards, Ramone McGregor, Jamar Martin, Jamar Jackson and Michael Webb.

Top players Fabian Reid and Paul Wilson, along with the promising Renaldo Cephas, Damari Deacon, Romeo Guthrie and Steve Clarke, will carry the fight for the “Junglists”.

But, with the uncertainty surrounding the start of the season most clubs did not have a wonderful transfer period, and Arnett Gardens were no different. Most of the players brought in are young and relatively inexperienced.

Hardley Barnes, Esran Simpson, Earl Simpson, Nathan Thomas, Donovan Segree, Marlon Martin, Janoy Cunningham, Maximus Davis, Shadane Lopez, Andre Glanville, Rushike Kellson, and Rayano Thompson are some of the young guns brought into the club, and they will have to hit the ground running.

Arnett Gardens will kick off the JPL with a match against The University of the West Indies on Saturday, June 26, at 1:00 pm.

“We are feeling overwhelmed at this point because it is over a year now without any football, and this is what we were hoping for, a start date, and it is finally here,” said Thomas.

“There are differences in the approach of the players as their energy level is up because they know that they are training towards a competition, and the mental and physical aspects of them have changed tremendously since the announcement of the [start to the] league,” he pointed out.

Only last Saturday, Arnett Gardens drew 0-0 with Portmore United in what Coach Thomas said was a strong starting team. But in their two previous games he noted that he wanted to have a look at the new players. In those games they lost 0-2 to both Portmore United and Cavalier.

Nevertheless, he is looking forward to the abbreviated season with optimism.

“As a coach we have to adjust to the new format. We have to plan and prepare the team to the best of our ability within a short period of time,” he noted.