The second innings of Stephen Constantine
7negi
India10890 Points
After Our worst ever time with our National Team , We hope Stephen will help us to rise again ..
Starting this Thread with Realistic Interview he gave to ESPN FC
New coach Constantine seeks to qualify for expanded 2019 Asian Cup
"There is tremendous potential for India to improve and become a real player in Asia," Constantine told ESPN FC. "A great deal has to be done, but I would like to think that we could get there as qualifying for big events is a priority."
"I think Indian football has made good steps in recent years but when you look at the current FIFA ranking of 171 that is very disappointing," Constantine said. "We were not that low 10 years ago [he took them to a best ever 109th] so there is obviously something not quite right."
"The ISL showed the world that India plays football and the growing interest," he said. "We now need to take this forward for the betterment of the national team. There has been great improvement in the technical quality of local players but we need to develop the whole package."
He is wise enough not to make any bold ambitious predictions beyond improving India's lowly FIFA ranking. But Constantine agrees that the recent progress made by Alain Perrin's Chinese side shows what is possible. "In the beginning China had many problems and were doing things for show rather than for the development," he said. "Once China realised that they needed a good, solid league, they needed consistency, and above all structure, you are now seeing success. I am not surprised by China's results as there are no secrets in football anymore."
http://www.espnfc.com/afc-asian-cup/2243/blog/post/2258088/new-india-coach-constantine-hopes-to-qualify-for-expanded-asian-cup-2019
Starting this Thread with Realistic Interview he gave to ESPN FC
New coach Constantine seeks to qualify for expanded 2019 Asian Cup
"There is tremendous potential for India to improve and become a real player in Asia," Constantine told ESPN FC. "A great deal has to be done, but I would like to think that we could get there as qualifying for big events is a priority."
"I think Indian football has made good steps in recent years but when you look at the current FIFA ranking of 171 that is very disappointing," Constantine said. "We were not that low 10 years ago [he took them to a best ever 109th] so there is obviously something not quite right."
"The ISL showed the world that India plays football and the growing interest," he said. "We now need to take this forward for the betterment of the national team. There has been great improvement in the technical quality of local players but we need to develop the whole package."
He is wise enough not to make any bold ambitious predictions beyond improving India's lowly FIFA ranking. But Constantine agrees that the recent progress made by Alain Perrin's Chinese side shows what is possible. "In the beginning China had many problems and were doing things for show rather than for the development," he said. "Once China realised that they needed a good, solid league, they needed consistency, and above all structure, you are now seeing success. I am not surprised by China's results as there are no secrets in football anymore."
http://www.espnfc.com/afc-asian-cup/2243/blog/post/2258088/new-india-coach-constantine-hopes-to-qualify-for-expanded-asian-cup-2019
Comments
With one sleeping giant of Asian football now very
much awake, could the other be roused in time for the
2019 Asian Cup?
With China making the AFC Asian Cup knockout stages
for the first time in more than a decade at the 2015
tournament in Australia, India’s newly-appointed head
coach Stephen Constantine would simply love to qualify
for the next edition in four years’ time.
“There is tremendous potential for India to improve and
become a real player in Asia,” Constantine said. “A
great deal has to be done, but I would like to think that
we could get there as qualifying for big events is a
priority.”
India played in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup under
Englishman Bob Houghton after winning the now
defunct Challenge Cup that gave developing football
nations a second chance. But their hopes of making it
to the 2019 tournament have been helped by the
expansion of the tournament from 16 to 24 teams.
London-born Constantine is back for his second stint
with India, having been in charge for three years
between 2002 and 2005 when he helped them to their
first international tournament win in 42 years at the
2002 LG Cup in Vietnam.
He was appointed last week after being chosen from a
shortlist alongside ex-New Zealand and Wellington
Phoenix head coach Ricki Herbert. Dutchman Wim
Koevermans resigned in October after a string of
disappointing results.
“I think Indian football has made good steps in recent
years but when you look at the current FIFA ranking of
171 that is very disappointing,” Constantine said. “We
were not that low 10 years ago [he took them to a best
ever 109th] so there is obviously something not quite
right.”
In his decade away from Indian football, the 52-year-
old has held six different coaching jobs. Three of them
have been in charge of African national teams —
Malawi, Sudan and, most recently, Rwanda, where he
achieved qualification for the 2015 Africa Cup of
Nations, only to see them disqualified because one of
their players was deemed ineligible.
Even so, he remains a hero in the eastern African
nation, having lifted the Wasps to their highest ever
FIFA ranking of 68 last December.
He also had a season as first team coach at Millwall in
the English second tier in 2005-2006, working with
Chelsea legend Ray Wilkins, the manager of Jordan at
the Asian Cup. He’s also coached two clubs in Cyprus
— he’s of Cypriot-Greek origin — and worked in the
Greek Super League.
“It really has been an education that you can not get on
any coaching course,” he said. “You learn from every
job, take the good with the bad and use it to your
advantage. India will be familiar in some ways yet
completely different in others.”
Constantine is excited by football’s increase in
popularity thanks to the Indian Super League (ISL). The
inaugural edition, run from October to December last
year, attracted a total attendance over more than one-
point-five million fans and an average crowd of 26,505.
“The ISL showed the world that India plays football and
the growing interest,” he said. “We now need to take
this forward for the betterment of the national team.
There has been great improvement in the technical
quality of local players but we need to develop the
whole package.”
When India appeared in the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar,
they were outclassed over three group matches,
conceding 13 goals and scoring just three.
In 2014, they played only two international matches at
senior level, drawing 2-2 with Bangladesh in March and
losing 3-2 at home to Palestine in October, which led
to Koevermans’ departure.
In the decade that Constantine has been away, India
have had six different coaches, including the highly
respected Houghton — a close friend of England boss
Roy Hodgson — who held the post for five years. By
going back to Constantine rather than a big-name
manager, they are taking an economical yet tried-and-
tested approach. Sources tell ESPN FC that the All India
Football Federation (AIFF) will pay Constantine around
$20,000 dollars per month.
He is wise enough not to make any bold ambitious
predictions beyond improving India’s lowly FIFA
ranking. But Constantine agrees that the recent
progress made by Alain Perrin’s Chinese side shows
what is possible.
“In the beginning China had many problems and were
doing things for show rather then for the development,”
he said. “Once China realised that they needed a good,
solid league, they needed consistency, and above all
structure, you are now seeing success. I am not
surprised by China’s results as there are no secrets in
football anymore.”
Constantine will arrive in Delhi next month and will also
oversee the U-23 side.
While they say it is never wise to go back to an old
‘love’, this much travelled Londoner is hoping that it
will be a joyous reunion that could carry the Blue Tigers
to Asia’s biggest stage in four years time.
m.thehindu.com/sport/football/india-comeback-kid-constantine-dreams-of-2019/article6808618.ece/
senior level, drawing 2-2 with Bangladesh in March and
losing 3-2 at home to Palestine in October."
he said. “Once China realised that they needed a good,
solid league, they needed consistency, and above all
structure, you are now seeing success. I am not
surprised by China’s results as there are no secrets in
football anymore.”
1. Pick the best 15 players. Indian NT coaches ignored many inform players before. Hope he will give chance to inform players instead of sticking to players who has bad present form with good past.
2. Watch domestic leagues / I League / ISL form the stands. Watching video of a player and watch him from stand is different.
3. Play practice matches in India forming India A , B , C instead of going to Europe to play with 3rd / 2nd division teams. As team like Atletico De Kolkata, BFC are traveling to Spain, China our players are getting enough fill of modern infra and playing environment.
4. Wild Expectation: Get rid of Savio, appoint Rajat Ghosh Dastidar, Debjit Ghosh as assistant coaches / team managers.
Rajat : Has done a good job with ATK as team manager. Played under Stefan
Debjit: Also played under Stefan.This fellow silently took Bhawanipur FC from fifth division to CFL premier division within 5 years that means 5 promotion in 5 years. I don't know he is having a proper license or not. But as per me he will be best person to assist Stefan. I like him because he has the guts to say "It was not offside the referee should know the basic rule of offside" / " It was straight red" during commentary. After late Noel Da Lima Letao the only Indian commentator I agree with.
StephenConstantine @StephenConstan
Will be in India Saturday morning and looking forward to getting down to business........
I hope he is not like Wim coming for few telecasted matches to show he is watching the league and allow savio to pick undeserving players like RAJU GAIKWAD