A former assistant to Bermuda national football coach, Kenny Thompson, has hit out at some aspects of his running of the Island's Under-17 team.

Robert Moulder, whose son Christopher played in the team that narrowly missed out on making it to the next phase of the World Cup qualifiers, has also suggested in a letter to The Royal Gazette (see Page 23) a number of ways in which he believes the game on the Island can be improved.

The Under-17s needed only to draw against Jamaica at the National Sports Centre last month to ensure their passage to St Louis, having already seen off the challenges of the Netherlands Antilles and Barbados.

However, they crashed out when they were beaten 4-2 by the stronger and more clinical Caribbean side.

Moulder, the team's former equipment manager, believes the defeat could have been avoided if Thompson had stuck to an attacking gameplan, instead of adopting what he believed was a more defensive approach.

Referring to Thompson's comments in The Gazette recently where he said the Island was behind Jamaica in terms of football development, Moulder writes: "May I remind Mr Thompson of his comment in the February 15 issue where he is reported as saying `I'm absolutely sure we can beat Jamaica'. So was I until he changed the formation -- which many coaches and spectators viewed as a major mistake.

"It could be argued that even without a change of formation our team would have been defeated anyway, however, many feel that his change undoubtedly contributed to our defeat.

"I will not expand further at this time, however, it is my opinion that the above is just one example of errors made in the handling of the team over the past two years. It is my opinion there are things which could have been, and should have been, done differently which would have increased our team's chance for success.'' Moulder was also critical of Thompson's recent statement that Bermuda should adopt the Dutch approach to football.

"With regard to the `Dutch system' it is easy to adopt in principle a format and ideas that are similar to Bermuda's needs without accepting the Dutch system as gospel,'' he states.

"The `Dutch system' `Brazilian system' or whatever system are good sources of information but should not be adopted as our sole system.

"The system in and of itself will not bring success -- after all the Under-17 Bermuda team quite easily defeated the team from the Netherlands Antilles -- a Dutch island with a population of over 210,000 which, as was confirmed to me, trains under the Dutch system of football! We simply had better players.'' As for the game as a whole in Bermuda, Moulder said four basic requirements needed to be met if it was to improve.

"They are money; promotion and playing organised games; establishing a basic code of fundamental training, style and sportsmanship; and, last but not least, elements of teaching and continued education,'' he writes.

"In my opinion $100,000 or thereabouts should not be spent on a technical director at this time to administer these basic requirements. Rather, once you have indentified the needs surely it is preferable to hire part-time professionals in the appropriate fields.'' Moulder suggested the Bermuda Football Association should hire: A fundraiser whose wage could be based on a percentage of cash realised.

A promoter -- preferably a celebrity -- with connections to organise external and internal international tournaments to enhance the ability of Island players.

A public relations officer.

A teacher with multi-subject credentials to administer the educational requirements of players and to tutor as necessary.

"I do not believe that any one individual could successfully carry out all of the duties as outlined above,'' Moulder writes. "If we are really sincere about football in this country then surely we should not hire one more `chief' to do what four well qualified individuals could do better.

"In due time if the professional fundraiser did a good job all, or any, of the above positions could become full-time and well paid and maybe the players would finally get the exposure they so desperately need.''