ST JAMES, Jamaica — Xavier Gilbert was the first choice to fill the vacancy as head coach of Jamaica Premier League team Montego Bay United says club Chairman Yoni Epstein.

The appointment of Gilbert, who led South St Andrew-based Arnett Gardens FC to back-to-back third-place finishes in the JPL and won the Caribbean Football Union Shield last season, was confirmed by the club on Monday, a day after the Jamaica Observer broke the news.

Epstein told the Observer on Wednesday that they made the move for the out-of-contract Gilbert the minute Montego Bay’s JPL season ended with a 2-4 loss to Arnett Gardens in the third-place play-off.

The Montego Bay United club chairman said they were forced to move on from Paul “Tegat” Davis, who was in charge of the team for the second half of the season,

“Truthfully, the process kind of really fell on us right at the end of the season. [Davis] had an option on a two-year contract, and he had decided to take one to the end of the season,” Epstein said.

He said Gilbert was the ideal candidate to take over.

“As the head of the club, we have to think longer term and at the end of the season, we knew there was an opportunity with Xavier. And truthfully, watching what Xavier had done with Arnett, watching the team chemistry and looking at where I feel our deficiencies [are] in coaching, the decision was easy,” he pointed out.

“[Having] players believe in what you are trying to achieve as a coach… to me, that is the belief of a championship squad. And from the outside looking in, I felt Xavier did a very good job at Arnett,” Epstein continued.

In a media release on Monday, Gilbert, who will take his Assistant Coach Garnet Lawrence with him to Montego Bay, said: “I am honoured to lead this iconic club; Montego Bay United has a proud history and devoted fans. My main aim is to build a playing philosophy rooted in togetherness, righteousness, and family.”

Andrew Peart, who retains his position as Montego Bay United’s technical director, was said to have been the the point man in the negotiations to appoint Gilbert.

Former premier league winners Montego Bay had developed a reputation of going for a head coach from overseas, even before Epstein’s group took over from previous owner Orville Powell. But Epstein noted they decided to choose from within the premier league on this occasion.

“… He [Gilbert] was at the top of the list [of potential candidates]. So when we found out that his contract was also at term, we engaged and came to an agreement,” he reiterated.

Though Montego Bay made it to the top four last season after just missing out on qualifying for the play-offs in the previous campaign, the club chairman felt they should have achieved more.

“So look, on one hand I’m proud and happy, because if you look at since we’ve taken over, where we’ve come from to where we are, I’m proud.

“[But] I’m not proud because I truly believe that we had the squad this season to do more, and even if more was going to the [Caribbean] Shield, there’s no question we should have beaten Arnett (in the consolation play-off). Arnett never beat us; we beat ourselves.

“If I’m to define our next season — and this has been my mantra to the technical staff — I’ll define it in one word, and that is ‘discipline’. If we’re not lacking quality, or not lacking depth, and if we can be disciplined through and through, on and off the pitch, we will be a force to be reckoned with, far more than we were last season,” he insisted.

With training set to start on July 1 ahead of the new season which is expected to kick-off in August, Epstein said there will be changes in the squad. He said the Trinidad and Tobago pair of goalkeeper Aaron Enill and midfielder Che Benny have left the team.

“We are in discussions with few players, bot local and regionally based players, and obviously, until we get them signed, I don’t want to say anything, but yeah, there are a few players that we’re talking to about bringing [them] into the squad to raise the quality,” he explained.

“There are some players that are out of contract that will not be seeking to re-sign. So there will be some changes, and I think the changes will be for the better for the club.”

He noted, however, that the majority of the squad will remain intact.

“The core will still be there. Absolutely you can’t despine your squad, right? As I said before, we have a strong squad.”

Montego Bay United Chairman Yoni Epstein