Owen Coyle joins Jamshedpur FC on two-year deal

Jamshedpur FC (JFC) named Owen Coyle, who sparked a exceptional turnaround for Chennaiyin FC final season, as their head coach on Friday. Joining on a two-year deal, the previous Bolton Wanderers and Dundee United striker is the fourth coach in as many seasons of the Indian Super League (ISL) the franchise has performed.

“Every year we wanted the coach to stay. We definitely thought Steve (Coppell) would stay (in the first season) but things change and results matter. We want to build the club so with Owen we have a longer commitment,” mentioned Mukul Choudhari, the membership’s CEO at an internet media convention.

“A two-year contract shows that you want to build something,” mentioned Coyle, snapping his fingers to indicate that issues don’t change in a single day however “needs a lot of repetition.”

Coyle’s first sport as a coach in India was in opposition to JFC in December. It ended 1-1. Going into that sport, Chennaiyin FC had a solitary win and 5 factors from six video games. From there, they made the ultimate, having been unbeaten of their final eight league video games — a run which included six wins — earlier than beautiful league winners FC Goa within the semi-finals. They misplaced 1-Three to ATK within the last.

“We know what he did at Chennaiyin FC. At JFC we would say, ‘let’s get into the top four.’ Now I am not looking at the top four. I am looking at the top two,” mentioned membership chairman Chanakya Chaudhary.

Hit by a string of great accidents to key gamers reminiscent of Spaniards Sergio Castel, Piti and Tiri, JFC completed eighth within the 10-team competitors final season. Playing ISL since 2017-18, JFC have by no means made the semi-finals; their greatest being fifth-place finishes within the first two seasons.

“Before my first experience of Jamshedpur, I was told they have the best facilities in India. I must say I wasn’t too disappointed. The stadium, the training ground and the hospitality were excellent. The playing field is as good as anywhere in the world and I have managed at Wembley. We want to be a team that is pleasing to the eye but we also want to be a team that wins football matches. The margins in ISL are really fine and we need to come out on the right side of those margins,” mentioned Coyle, 54.

To that finish, Coyle mentioned JFC are “working very hard to get a top striker” including that they’re “close to an exciting signing.” Coyle additionally spoke of defender Narender Gahlot and midfielder Amarjit Singh Kiyam as being among the many “exciting young Indian players” he’s wanting ahead to working with. Coyle performed JFC twice final time period, successful the house tie 4-1.

JFC, Choudhari mentioned, wish to do their pre-seasons within the metropolis or state ISL shall be held. That means we will get across the 14-day quarantine guidelines in place, he mentioned. Because of Covid-19, ISL is more likely to be held in a single state this time with Goa and Kerala being the frontrunners.

“The ISL this time will be a different challenge physically and mentally but it will be a level playing field for everybody,” mentioned Coyle. According to the draft Standard Operating Procedure shared with groups, gamers gained’t be allowed to go away the resort, gained’t have meals collectively and shall be break up into teams to go to coaching and for video games.

Coyle, who has managed Bolton Wanderers and Burnley within the Premier League and Houston Dynamos in USA’s Major League Soccer, shall be joined by his long-time assistant Alexander ‘Sandy’ Stewart.

Defensive midfielder Aitor Monroy and ahead David Grande are the one foreigners among the many 11 gamers JFC have retained from final time period.