Coach Clyde Best will demand two areas of improvement from Bermuda's national team players following their 4-2 aggregate loss to Jamaica in the Shell/Umbro Cup over the weekend.

He will insist that they become physically fitter and also toughen up in order to match international opponents.

In fact, looking back at Bermuda's two performances (1-0 and 3-2 defeats), Best said if the Island wanted to take seriously its international commitments then several areas needed improvement.

"There's a lot of little things we're not doing that we have to learn to do,'' said the coach. "If we want to be successful in tournaments like this we have to concentrate more at improving overall.

"Our players have to get tough and get fit, because fitness plays a key part.

If you are fit you can get tough and make people faster so they can do the little things like the Jamaicans did.

"At times we were standing when we should have been going, we were just physically tired. We have to concentrate on fitness.'' But Best gave Jamaica credit for their win and said that being together for at least three years was paying dividends and pointing to why they were one of six CONCACAF countries still with a chance of qualifying for the World Cup.

"Jamaica play a good style of soccer and it's what I would like to emulate because that's what the game is all about. You have to entertain,'' Best continued. "Right now we are trying to feel our way and we have to get it done the best way we can. What Bermuda has to do, though, is to implement a programme where we get our youngsters coming into our various national teams good enough so that the coaches don't have to spend unnecessary time working on things they should already know.'' Bermuda saw first hand over the weekend the pride Jamaica have in their national team, boosted by financial support from Government and business sector.

The Jamaican team own a modern bus for transportation, donated by Government, and are hailed by fans as they ride through the streets with the slogan written in large letters on the side "On the Way to France'', in reference to the World Cup.

"If Bermuda want to make progress we will need more money to go on tours because we need to play as often as possible if we are to improve,'' added Best. "It is a must for us to play in all of the Caribbean tournaments, we just can't lay idle for four years and come out and look good. As we stand still others are overtaking us.'' Tour manager Aldwyn Savery concurred and as chairman of the BFA's coaching committee assured that attempts would be made to have the senior national team involved in another competition or match soon.

"We have got to keep them together in training and we plan to schedule sessions shortly after we return home this week. The team will not be disassembled. In fact, this tournament was coincidental because we assembled a squad for the long haul,'' said Savery.

He said the Shell/Umbro proved that Bermuda could not prepare for a tough series in only six weeks. Jamaica have toured Europe and only recently returned from a two-week training camp in Argentina.

Mark Trott, coach of the Bermuda Pan American Games team in 1993, said: "Jamaica had 10 players for this series who played in the team we beat four years ago. We had two who played this series, Dwayne Adams and Ascento Russell, while Tim Figureido was on the bench.

"For us to come away with two narrow losses proves that Clyde Best has the team on the right course. All we need to do is to continue to push forward.''