GORDON WILLIAMS, STAR Writer

John Barnes: The talent is definitely here to do a good job. - File

The head coach's boots have officially switched feet, but John Barnes is demanding the same commitment Jamaica's senior footballers displayed during Theodore Whitmore's successful interim stint now that he is in charge.

Granted that, Barnes said, the Reggae Boyz should respond well in next month's Digicel Caribbean Championships and beyond, despite the letdown of being eliminated from World Cup 2010. Anything less, he vowed, will not be tolerated and reluctant players will find themselves booted to the sidelines.

"If they show the same desire in the coming matches, in the Digicel Cup, as they did in the last three matches - and that is what I will be stressing - Jamaica will be fine," Barnes said, shortly after the Reggae Boyz defeated Canada last week but still fell short of the next round of World Cup qualifiers.

"The talent is definitely here to do a good job."

Under Whitmore's guidance, following the dismissal of Brazilian René Simoes when Jamaica stumbled early in CONCACAF semi-final round, the Boyz rallied to win three consecutive games, shutting out Mexico, Honduras and Canada. But Jamaica finished third in Group Two on goal difference, behind Honduras and Mexico, and failed to advance.

Officially in charge

Although he assisted Whitmore with practices before the November 19 game against Canada, Barnes officially took charge of the full national senior team after that match. Before that, he took a squad of mainly local-based players to the Cayman Islands for a weeklong training camp, which included practice games. His first competitive assignment will be next month's Digicel Caribbean Cup, December 1-15 in Jamaica. A top-tier finish in the regional tournament will also qualify Jamaica for the lucrative CONCACAF Gold Cup next year.

Barnes, whose current contract runs out in June 2009, is looking for a successful run to ensure an extension. Club commitments mean he will not have the services of most of his European-based professionals next month.

However, he is convinced that the overall team system he plans to implement should make up for the absence of individual talent. He has named a 29-man squad that includes largely local-based players, plus several who made on-the-field contributions during the three qualifiers at "The Office", including Tyrone Marshall, Rodolph Austin, Luton Shelton, Oneil Thompson, Omar Cummings and Dane Richards.

Tyrone Marshall - file

Barnes said he is not too worried about those who will not be present, such as captain Ricardo Gardner, Ian Goodison, Ricardo Fuller, Marlon King, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Demar Phillips, Claude Davis, Jermaine Johnson and Damion Stewart - all based in England.

"There are going to be players there to take their places," he explained. "What we are going to have to do is have a philosophy of an identity within the team."

That "identity", explained the Jamaican-born former England international, means the team will play a particular style, which should work regardless of the players used to execute it. It will also offer no room for those who fail to buy into the discipline and effort required by the system.

"I do not worry about the talent available," Barnes said. "But if they do not show that same commitment there will be no place for them here. Because that's all we need. We just need the correct attitude."

Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.