Kolkata : He has been one of the greatest legends of Old Trafford. The former Manchester United winger Steve Coppell, who is now the present coach of Hero ISL side Kerala Blasters FC, has the experience of playing more than 300 games for the Red Devils. A fantastic tactician and a professor of the game. In an exclusive interview with www.xtratime.in, Coppell reveals his assessment regarding Jose Mourinho to arch rivals Manchester City, the future road-map of Indian football, his life at Manchester United and a lot more. Here goes the full interview:
XT: You have been one of the biggest profiles to have come as a head coach/manager in India. What challenge exactly dragged you over here?
Coppell: Just the fact that the unique style of football here with the combination of Indians and international players trying to create a team in a very short time. Also the dream that I have never visited India, the combination of everything seemed appealing to me. For a lot of people, the reason might be the exact opposite but for me, I have managed more than thousand games in England but the fact that was so different was the appeal.
XT: You have the same schooling of John Lennon & Joe Royle in your childhood. Do you think this to be the reason for your adventurous nature as a manager?
Coppell: Well, Joe Royle is somebody I’m still in contact with, but unfortunately not with John Lennon. Joe Royle, I speak with fairly regularly, we have a similar way of thinking, I can say that, but we went to a very good school in Liverpool, a period when Liverpool was very much thriving, so I am sure it plays a factor in my coaching style even now.
XT: Despite being from Liverpool, what exactly motivated you to be a loyal Manchester United player?
Coppell: Well, (laughs), the opportunity. I was playing for Tranmere Rovers, I was at the university and Manchester United offered to sign me before anyone else did. Tommy Docherty was the manager at Manchester United and I very quickly realized that I should not turn down Manchester United. And that he said on the day I signed for United, any move from United is a move down and now I still think that I signed for a unique club, special club and obviously having played there for about nine long years, it has a big space on my heart.
XT: As a manager of Kerala Blasters, apart from the title, what would be your other goals
Coppell: My goal is just to win football matches, as many games as possible. I am fairly one dimensional from that point of view. I want to do my best for the club, the people who have employed me. And whether I’m doing my best is judged by the number of games I won, now there are factors which can be taken into accounts are obviously in any football club in the world. The recruitment is critical. The large part of the recruitment of this club is not what I’m responsible for. My brief is to come in, win football games and is to play as many games for Kerala as we can.
XT: How difficult was it to manage Manchester City when you had the tag of being from the Red part of Manchester? How was the reaction from the fans?
Coppell: No..No.. The fans were great. It was just the wrong place at the wrong time as far as I’m concerned. You know, I didn’t stay there for long. Now I feel that I shouldn’t have taken the job at that time over there, because of various reasons. I left very quickly. I’m sure I was not there for too long to do any damage. Man City was a chapter which shouldn’t have happened in my managerial career.
XT: Wayne Rooney has announced his retirement from international football after the Russia World Cup. How big a blow will it be for English football?
Coppell: I don’t know, I think, he is struggling to prove himself even at the club level. He is receiving a lot of criticism as well on whether he should play for Manchester United or not. I don’t think he should be in pick and choose when you retire, because it could well be a fact that there will be a time when Sam Allardyce may think that Rooney is not the player for him. It will be fairly stupid for him then to retire. He is not in control of this decision, so, let the football take care of itself.
XT: Do you have any regret for not getting the opportunity to manage Manchester United in you managerial career?
Coppell: No, not at all. I had a great time in England in the clubs I managed. Apart from one or two exceptions, I enjoyed wherever I have gone to manage clubs in my career. Manchester United is the elite job, the most demanding job. Jose Mourinho is also getting the feel of it just because he is now the Man Utd boss. Just because you are the Man Utd boss, it doesn’t mean you will be successful. Alex Ferguson was a freak to manage with so much energy, vigor and determination for so long, it was an unbelievable era. He is the most special manager of English football for all time.
XT: You have the reputation of bringing quality young talents. Have you spotted any special young talent in the Kerala Blasters team?
Coppell: We certainly have some young players. But still, as it is such a short competition, we don’t have the time to develop. Each game you are being judged is instant. You are not here building for the next season or the season after. Here you are building for a “9 weeks business”. If you don’t play your strongest team in each & every game for the next nine weeks, then you are not gonna have any future.
XT: What are the differences in mindset you percept between a player and a coach
Coppell: Oh, completely different. As a player you work for an hour and a half on a day. You are paid for an hour and a half of a Saturday. As a coach you are living the job. You have to live the job 24 x 7. Even when you go to bed at night, you are thinking about the next day’s training, what formation you are gonna play, what team you are gonna pick. There is no rest. But as a player, you play, if you make any mistake, you can go home. You certainly think about it for sure. But the difference is just huge, it’s massive. The commitment of a good coach should be incredible.
XT: What would be your suggestions for the Indians for doing well in international level
Coppell: First and foremost, they have to have a longer season with more games. Indian players just don’t play enough games in comparison to other countries. It’s only when you play games consistently, and I’m talking about 30-40 games, even more than that in a season, then only you can develop and become battle-ardent. Secondly, India need to have more grass pitches for the boys growing up. When you are trained on good quality surfaces, then only you can compete better and can rise above the current status which is lying at 150th in the world. Otherwise it is completely impossible to rise higher than that, given the formation of the present league, the lack of the Indian players playing abroad and the lack of quality grass pitches throughout the country.