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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/Ricardo-Bibi-Gardner.jpg" alt="Former national midfielder Ricardo ‘Bibi’ Gardner" class="wp-image-9359" /><figcaption> Former national midfielder Ricardo ‘Bibi’ Gardner </figcaption></figure>
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<p>Former national midfielder Ricardo
‘Bibi’ Gardner believes defending champions Portmore United have the quality to
rise above the poor start in the Red Stripe Premier League and be a force to be
reckoned with as the season progresses.</p>
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<p>Three matches into the season and
Portmore have yet to gain a point, as they lost to both newcomers to the
league, going down 3-0 to Molynes United in their first encounter and then
being tagged 2-0 by Vere. On Sunday, they also lost to Dunbeholden 1-0.</p>
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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>"As we continue to work, we will continue to improve and then the results will start coming on board."</p><cite>— Ricardo Gardner</cite></blockquote>
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<p>Gardner took over from Shavar Thomas
after Portmore won the competition last year, and he said they would continue
to work together to iron out the problems they are having.</p>
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<p>“Not the start that we wanted, but it
is what it is. We continue to work on what we need to work on in training. We
embrace the challenge ahead as we have quality players who can rise to the
occasion,” Gardner told <strong>BUZZ</strong>.</p>
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<p>“With God’s will, as we continue to
work, we will continue to improve and then the results will start coming on board
and then the points will start stacking up.”</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/soccer-ball-football.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8043" /></figure>
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<p>According to Gardner, he has not
pinpointed any specific area of the team that needs to be corrected, but
believes that they have just started the season with a bad patch and will get
over it.</p>
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<p>“It is good to have this from early
in the season. We still have 30 games to go in the league, so we just have to
focus on the challenge ahead. There are a lot of things that we could have done
better in the matches. The greatest thing is that we know what we need to work
on, and we are pulling through together. We could have played a lot better in
many patches, but we are working on it as a team,” he said.</p>
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<p>Gardner can, however, take some
consolation in the fact that Portmore lost their opening match last season to
then newcomers Mount Pleasant Football Academy, but rebounded with good solid
performances to eventually win the competition.</p>
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<p>Portmore are in 11<sup>th</sup>
position in the 12-team competition with only Tivoli, behind them.</p>
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