India manager Stephen Constantine: I would love to come home one of these days

by/ 23 March 2018, 15:26

Indian football hit the headlines this week after John Gregory became the first English manager to win the Indian Super League after leading Chennaiyin FC to the title last weekend.

The Sack Race thought it would therefore be an ideal time to catch up with the manager of the Indian national team, Stephen Constantine, to find out: how his second spell in charge of the Blue Tigers is going, what the future holds for him in the managerial arena, and what he makes of the modern day managerial merry-go-round.

Hi Stephen, you recently signed a contract extension with the Indian national team. How are you finding your second spell in charge?

My second stint, which began in 2015, has been very rewarding in many ways.

Obviously qualifying for the Asian equivalent of the European Championships is huge for me and Indian football. Then there’s winning the South Asian Cup in 2016, and perhaps more importantly giving 36 players their international debuts, knowing that I have again laid the foundations for the next generation of Indian players to represent the National Team.

What’s your proudest achievement in management to date?

Wow tough question!

I think giving a player his first senior debut, be it club or the national team, is hugely gratifying especially when he goes on to do well in his career. Knowing that I had a part to play in that is for me a success.

I’ve won a couple of promotions in Cyprus, lifted the South Asian Cup and LG Cup with India, and have been decorated by the King in Nepal! There are so many special moments that I have been fortunate to have, and at the time it's happening is really magical.

Would you be interested in a return to England in the future?

Yes, of course I would love to come home one of these days, after all I’m English born and bred.

I have had spells in the Championship as First Team coach with Millwall and a spell at Youth level with AFC Bournemouth.

Lets see, hopefully there is a club out there that feels I have what it takes to do a job. But in the meantime I will keep focused on what I do best and that is improve teams fortunes, which is what I have done at every club and national team I have been at, so far!

We've taken a look at the new book by football manager Stephen Constantine (@StephenConstan)



Read our review: https://t.co/IsvSM4tU9g pic.twitter.com/tZpqkewTLw — The Sack Race (@thesackrace) October 8, 2017

What do you make of the same old managers getting the same old jobs in the manager merry-go-round? (Hughes, Pardew, Hodgson, Moyes, Pulis, Allardyce etc)

Look, I think for many chairman it is better the devil you know then say someone like me who is relatively unknown - the unknown is I guess a little scary.

Let me also add that most of the managers you have mentioned are at clubs who were, or are, in big trouble and I’m guessing the chairman wants someone who knows what it's like.

I, of course, don’t agree with that logic. If you are hiring a manager who has failed at 2-3 other clubs who are in a similar situation, what makes you think that the same guy who has failed elsewhere is going to do anything different?

Having not been able to turn things around at the other clubs, why is he going to do it for you at your club. In that respect I’m not sure I’m anymore of a risk than anyone else.

Of course it’s not so easy and there are always so many things that are contributing to a team’s poor performance, and it’s not always the managers fault - let’s be clear about that - but at the end of the day people only see the manager.

I would also like to add that many of the managers you have mentioned have been at clubs with one goal: to stay up! They have kept teams afloat under extreme pressure, with half or less of a budget than many other clubs, and it does seem to me that we don't recognise these managers for the jobs they have done.

Look at the jobs Chris Hughton, Eddie Howe and Sean Dyche are doing. They are there pulling up trees, but there may come a time when they are not doing so well. My point is are they then deemed bad managers? Or should they not be employed again because they didn't do as well?