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Sat, Apr

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Otto PfisterTrinidad and Tobago football needs a "unified philosophy" to emerge from its current slump.

That is one of the key factors senior coaching hopeful Otto Pfister has identified in reversing the fortunes of the national team.

The T&T Football Federation is currently in the hunt for a replacement for Russell Latapy, who was removed as head coach after a string of poor performances by the national team, culminating in a group stage exit from the Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals.

Former Portugal coach Carlos Quieroz was considered front-runner until he signed with Brazilian club Vasco de Gama on the weekend.

Through his management representatives, Elite Football Management, Pfister told the Express that measures such as regular assembling of the national team, regular clinics with local coaches and a "unified philosophy" can help T&T develop a winning formula.

"This was behind the success I had with Ghana, when I won the Youth World Cup with the team in 1991 and went to the final of the African Cup of Nations with a team that failed to qualify for that tournament in over ten years," Pfister explained.

Pfister said he applied for the T&T coaching job because he sees "potential" in the team as a "regional powerhouse" and feels this country should "always be featured in every World Cup".

He is also a fan of youth development and integrating young players into the national senior team.

Pfister, 73, does have considerable experience, having coached eight different African teams, and took Togo to the 2006 World Cup. But the TTFF has reportedly been concerned about the German tactician's age.

Pfister does not see an age problem, though.

"I think that there are no young or old coaches, only successful and less successful ones," he said, singling out fellow German Otto Rehhagel, who ended his tenure as Greece manager last year, and Spanish coach Luis Aragones, who won Euro 2008 with the Spaniards.

Both Rehhagel and Aragones will be 73 this year.