The president of the Jamaica Football Federation, Michael Ricketts, has delivered a brutal verdict on Steve McClaren’s latest international failure, describing the former England manager as “not such a good replacement” after Jamaica’s humiliating World Cup qualifying collapse at home to Curaçao.
The Reggae Boyz will have to go through the play-offs following their inability to qualify for the tournament automatically, with McClaren quitting his job on Tuesday night.
“To say I’m disappointed is an understatement,” Ricketts declared, accusing the appointment of McClaren of having backfired after Jamaica limped to a goalless draw in Kingston, surrendering automatic qualification to the tiny Caribbean island.
“We thought Steve McClaren would have been a good replacement, it has turned out that he has not been such a good replacement. We are supremely disappointed.”
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It is a familiar and painful narrative for the 64-year-old.
Once mocked as the “Wally with the Brolly” during England’s rainy defeat to Croatia in 2007, McClaren has now suffered another qualifying debacle, this time at the hands of the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup finals.
Curaçao, with a population similar in size to Cambridge or Huddersfield, celebrated a historic first qualification, while Jamaica were left to contemplate a last-chance play-off next March.
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The fallout was immediate.
McClaren announced his resignation in a sombre press conference in which he attempted to portray his exit as a noble act of accountability.
“Over the last 18 months I have given everything I have to this job,” he insisted.
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Steve McClaren quit his job as Jamaica manager after their failure to qualify for the World Cup
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“Leading this team has been one of the greatest honours of my career. But football is a results business and tonight we have fallen short of our goal, which was to qualify from this group.”
The former Manchester United assistant said he had “deep reflection” before stepping aside.
“Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is to recognise when a fresh voice, new energy and a different perspective is required to move this team forward," he added.
"I’m positive this team will succeed in March. I thank you, Jamaica… respect and one love to you all.”
McClaren’s emotional farewell appeared genuine, according to Curaçao assistant manager Dean Gorré, who said the defeated coach broke down after the final whistle.
“Steve was crying,” Gorré revealed. “It affected him that much.”
Curaçao have qualified for the 2026 World Cup
| GETTYThe heartbreak was compounded by circumstance.
With the United States, Mexico and Canada already qualified automatically as joint hosts of the 2026 tournament, this was seen as a golden opening for Jamaica, who have not appeared at a World Cup since France ’98.
Usain Bolt, the island’s most famous export, even delivered a pre-match rallying speech, but the team responded with a flat, uninspired display.
Meanwhile Curaçao, 37 miles off the Venezuelan coast and only an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 2010, clinched qualification with understated efficiency.
A decade ago they were ranked 150th in the world; now they sit 82nd.
Remarkably, they achieved their milestone without their head coach, Dick Advocaat, who was forced to return to the Netherlands due to family matters. Advocaat, 78, is set to become the oldest manager ever to lead a team at a World Cup.