ISL 2021-22: Jamshedpur FC reap rewards of Owen Coyle’s attacking mindset and ability to improve his players

“I want to be the man” — Owen Coyle was bold and frank in declaring his ambitions for Jamshedpur FC after his appointment as the head coach in 2020. The club from the home of one of the most revered football training schools in India, the Tata Football Academy, had failed to qualify for Indian Super League (ISL) playoffs in all of their three seasons till then. In 2019-20, they finished a disappointing eighth in a 10-team league table. But, Coyle wanted to make history. He wanted to be the first manager to take Jamshedpur into the playoffs. He knew the job wasn’t going to be easy. The club, known for its prudent spending, was up against big spenders like ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC and top teams such as FC Goa, Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC. More importantly, Jamshedpur had adjusted well to the possession-based footballing philosophy under the Spanish managers in the last two seasons. In layman’s terms, Coyle was aiming to reach the top by starting from scratch. Tall claims, it did appear. Tall claims, they weren’t. On Monday, Jamshedpur downed the mighty Mohun Bagan to clinch a history-making League Shield , reaching the playoffs for the first time ever. Yet another, against-all-odds job successfully accomplished by the Scottish gaffer who has made making turnarounds a trademark of his coaching career. In 2009, Coyle inspired Burnley’s journey to the Premier League, ending the club’s 33-year wait for top-flight football in England. At struggling Bolton Wanderers, he forged a team that caused upsets and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 2011. In the 2019-20 season, when Chennaiyin were struggling at No 8 in the points table with just one win from six games, the management was quick to appoint Coyle, who inspired the team to the final, in his first managerial outing in India. Madness! But there’s a method to this madness. And when Jamshedpur sought a similar intervention from Coyle, it was time to repeat the formula for success. There are three pillars to Coyle’s odds-defying formula — fast-paced direct football, ability to get the best out of players who are not household names and creation of a positive environment in and around the team. Lesser-known wonders Coyle’s knowledge of English football has served him well in the ISL. The quality of foreign contingent is of great value in Indian leagues and players like Peter Hartley, rock-solid defender and inspiring captain, and Greg Stewart, with 10 goals and 10 assists, have been pivotal in Jamshedpur winning the League Shield. Nigeria’s Daniel Chima Chukwu who scored just two goals in 10 matches for SC East Bengal earlier, has fired in seven goals for Jamshedpur in just nine appearances. But the key to success has been the performance of the lesser-known Indian players who have exceeded the expectations. Goalkeeper TP Rehenesh and defenders Ricky Lallawmawma and Laldinliana Renthlei struggled for game time in their previous clubs very recently. At Jamshedpur, they have been the three most used players this season.

A MOMENT THAT'LL BE ETCHED IN OUR MINDS FOREVER! 🛡️❤️😍#ATKMBJFC #JamKeKhelo pic.twitter.com/Dw3pUsEzdb

— Jamshedpur FC (@JamshedpurFC) March 7, 2022

Ritwik Das, who scored the only goal in the League Shield-winning match against Mohun Bagan, has played 15 games for Jamshedpur this season. Last season, he only played four matches for Kerala Blasters. Boris Singh who didn’t play a single game at Mohun Bagan last season, has made 18 appearances for Jamshedpur in the ongoing ISL 2021-22. A host of Indian players who couldn’t fit into their previous teams and spent more time off the field than on it, have consistently produced a very high level of football together, spearheading Jamshedpur’s historic run this season.

📣LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! 📣

OWEN COYLE - THE LEGEND 👏👏#ATKMBJFC #JamKeKhelo pic.twitter.com/pXRrJWXpRk

— Jamshedpur FC (@JamshedpurFC) March 7, 2022

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Fast-paced revolution One of the biggest achievements of Coyle at Jamshedpur is how he has revolutionised the club’s playing style. Under Spanish coaches Cesar Ferrando and Antonio Iriondo, the Jharkhand-based club played some very eye-pleasing possession-based football. But Coyle belongs to a whole different school of footballing philosophy. He is an advocate of fast-paced, direct football with a lot of focus on wide players. Bringing in a complete philosophical revolution was fraught with risk, but Coyle has handled the transition seamlessly. With 42 goals, Jamshedpur have been the second-highest scorers this season, just one behind Hyderabad FC. They have also created the second most number of chances (206) this season. Coyle demands a lot from his players and they oblige.Under his stewardship, Jamshedpur have been a side that plays at a very high intensity. The focus is not on holding the ball for long, but more on pressing ahead, moving forward quickly, employing the wingers to create opportunities and the players have fully bought into the attacking mindset. Possibly, the toughest job for Coyle this season has been to keep the squad happy and motivated with matches being played inside the energy-sapping bio-bubble. But the manager’s ever-smiling nature and ability to connect with his players has allowed the club to operate at its best. “He (Owen Coyle) is a very demanding coach. He demands a lot from each and every player. He gives confidence for each and every player to be at their best level and it only pushes us to strive for more, be in a good shape, and give a good performance,” Ritwik said after Jamshedpur won the League Shield. As the players held Coyle aloft with the Shield in his hands, their appreciation and love were there for everyone to see. The job is still not done, and Coyle will be well aware of that. Jamshedpur take on Kerala Blasters in the semi-finals and would be aiming to secure the ISL title as well. But for now, they deserve the cherishing, after all the gaffer has delivered what he promised. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram