Sunday Mail (UK)

Being bitter and twisted doesn’t help .. I’ve had my setbacks but spell in India proves I’m still top boss SAYS OWEN COYLE

We can be a hit at home

- Scott McDermott Scott McDermott

Owen Coyle is open to staying with Indian club Chennaiyin FC – but hasn’t ruled out one day taking on another big British job.

The Glaswegian is working wonders in the Indian Super League, having taken his side from the bottom of the table to the title play- offs since taking over in December.

Chennaiyin’s owners are keen for Coyle and assistant Sandy Stewart to signs new deals and will hold talks with the pair at the end of the season.

But Coy le , whose reputation took a beating after disappoint­ing spells in charge of Blackburn Rovers and Ross County, bel ieves he can st i ll manage at the top level.

He said: “It looked like this job would only be for 11 weeks until the end of February at first.

“But that could change now, given just how well we’ve done.

“The owners here are very keen to do something with us but we’ve said, ‘Let’s get to the end of the season then have a chat.’

“We don’t want anything to distract us from the play-offs coming up. They want us to stay but we must focus on these games first.

“People know what Sandy and I can do because we’ve done it before.

“After you build up a good reputation as a coach then have a couple of bad experience­s – it can get knocked.

“But ultimately people know what we’re good at.

“We’ve shown that over the course of time.

“So if a big job, at a big club, ever comes around again, we’ll be ready for it.

“If it doesn’t, so be it. I don’t spend my nights thinking about things I can’t control.

“It’s only about what I can do here at Chennai and so far we have done very well.”

I’ve never slaughtere­d anyone in public, it’s not my style. I could leave some people without a name – but I don’t. Listen, we’ve been hugely successful at most places. I never worried offers would dry up – but the next one had to be the right one. We had to have chance of winning successful at most places. I never worried offers would dry up – but the next one had to be the right one. We had to have chance of winning

The hustle and bustle of India’s daily traffic chaos can be heard outside.

During rush hour, five cars often occupy three lanes as commuters attempt to edge their way through the busy city of Chennai.

But inside the five-star Hyatt Regency Hotel there’s one man at peace.

Despite the sound of engines revving and horns beeping, there’s an air of tranquilli­ty about Owen Coyle.

Not just quietly satisfied at the job he’s doing with Indian Super League club, Chennaiyin FC but content with life itself.

Coyle recently endured a period in his managerial career when he had to blank out the noise.

A clutch of jobs, where he was perceived to have failed, began to erode the stellar reputation he had built up as a coach in the UK.

The tipping point was a scathing critique of his work from Ross County player Michael Gardyne in May 2018.

By then, the Staggies had been relegated after Coyle departed Dingwall a few months before, leaving the club bottom of the league.

At that stage, even those who admired the success he’d had previously struggled to see a comeback.

But not the man himself. Ever the enthusiast, the 53-year-old continued to believe in his ability to manage.

And he’s proving it again, albeit 5000 miles from Glasgow where he grew up.

Chennai is a bit different to the Gorbals. Coyle has never exactly been a curry connoisseu­r – and that won’t change even in a place formerly called Madras.

But in a football sense he has been reinvigora­ted, along with his trusted sidekick Sandy Stewart.

When they took over at Chennaiyin in December, the club were toiling at the foot of the Indian Super League.

But Coyle’s impact has catapulted them up the table into the title play- offs.

And yesterday they crushed Goa 4-1 in the first-leg of their semi-final as they look to become champions for the third time in the club’s history.

Initially, it was an 11-week job offer. Now Chennayin’s owners – Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan and Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni – want the two Scots to extend their stay.

But for now Coyle is just revelling in a fresh challenge, despite the traffic bedlam.

He told MailSport: “The traffic is just crazy over here and that will always be a challenge.

“We’re all based in the Hyatt, which is just beautiful.

“Our training ground is six miles away but it can easily take us around 45 minutes to get there.

“It’s bedlam. But it’s organised chaos, if that makes sense.

“If it was back home there would be a road rage incident every five minutes. But the people of Chennai are really nice, they can’t do enough for you. They are very humble.

“And the club look after the players. Everything we require on a football front is there for us.

“I’m not sure that’s the same at every ISL club. But we’re well catered for.

“We haven’t been out much because we’ve been so consumed in the work.

“But we did have a quiz night at the British Consulate. We won so we were quite happy with that.

“Sandy doesn’t have a problem with the food because he likes spicy stuff. But I don’t.

“I’m the proverbial mince and tatties man with the Gorbal s/ Donegal background.

“I can’t even take pepper in my food. Everything I eat is plain but the hotel has been great with me.

“Sandy’s enjoyed trying all the different delicacies – I keep mine simple.”

The job Coyle inherited from ex-Aston Villa gaffer John Gregory at Chennaiyin was anything but.

After what had happened at Ross County – as well as the flak that followed – it would have been understand­able to feel a sense of trepidatio­n.

But Coyle’s got thicker skin than that. He also knows exactly what he’s capable of.

And taking bit ter pot shots at individual­s isn’t in his make-up.

He said: “I had a couple of bad experience­s but there were reasons for that. We’ve done a lot of good stuff as well.

“There are uncontroll­ables as a manager but I’m not one for looking back. I park it and move on.

“I’ve never slaughtere­d anyone in public, that’s not my style. Even if some people might be slightly different. I don’t live my life like that. If you want to be bitter and twisted, you get nowhere.

“I could come out and leave some people without a name. But I don’t need to.

“Listen, we’ve been hugely successful at the majority of places we’ve been.

“Of course you’ l l have negative experience­s – that’s football.

“But the important thing is to pick yourself up and go again.

“We have a pos i t ive mentality and know what we’re capable of when working with people who are willing to listen and learn.

“We’ ll never get carried away with ourselves. But I was never worried that the job offers would dry up. What was important with the next one was that it was right for us.

“In the past we’ve gone in f ire- f ighting for dif ferent reasons. Sometimes it was personal – I knew the people involved at clubs and wanted to help them.

“But I told Sandy the next challenge we took had to give us a chance of winning.

“Because when you win the perception changes. You don’t work at the level we have in the game if you’re not good at what you do.”

The proof is in the pudding at Chennaiyin so far.

With a talented squad that includes Brazilian players Eli Sabia and Rafael Crivellaro, as well as Lithuanian striker Nerijus Valskis and Romanian Lucian Goian – younger brother of ex-Rangers defender Dorin – they’ve climbed the table since Coyle and Stewart arrived.

Sabia and Goian were both on target in yesterday’s play- off rout.

Now they’re potentiall­y just two games away from being crowned ISL champs.

He said: “They were bottom of the league and had scored four goals in six games when we came in. And they had already played four of those away from home, having not won on the road since November 2018.

“This is a club that were previous two-time champions. But the year before they had finished bottom with the lowest points total ever in the ISL.

“This season, they were going down a similar route. So it was always going to be a huge challenge.

“But I watched a few of their games and felt they had some good players. They just needed a lift to get going again.

“We qualified for the play- offs with a game to spare – so last week in our final game we played with 10 Indians in the starting line-up. That’s the first time any club has done that in ISL history.

“We rested the foreigners for Goa. We knew they were a good side but we are the form team in the league.

“We were respectful of them but we didn’t fear them. After all it was a chance for us to be champions.

“For Chennai, to win the ISL now would be like a fairytale.

“But just getting to this point has been an unbelievab­le achievemen­t.”

And if they do, the sacrifices made by Coyle and Stewart will have been worth it.

The pair have worked abroad before when they were in charge of MLS outfit Houston Dynamo.

But Hyatt Regency or not, being away from loved ones on the other side of the world can be tough.

That’s why, if they were going to do it, they wanted to do it right.

Coyle said: “It was funny after I’d been offered the job.

“I was on the phone to Sandy to congratula­te him on the birth of his first grandchild.

“I’ve got two, Willo who’s three and Woody who’s just one. I told Sandy that having grand-kids is unbelievab­le. “He said: ‘ Thanks Oweny, I’m looking forward to it.’ And then I said: ‘But do you fancy coming to India with me?’

“That’s how the conversati­on went! Sandy said: ‘ You’ll need to give me a couple of days to think about it.’

“We’re all about football and family so of course there have been challenges.

“I left to come out here on December 6, my youngest daughter’s birthday.

“I missed Christmas. And at New Year, we have four families of friends who always come down to see me and my wife Kerry. But I wasn’t there for that either.

“I’ve missed my oldest daughter’s birthday, both grand-kids’ and Kerry’s too. They’re all in January and February!

“But that’s why I want to see it through. They say, don’t come this far just to come this far. I believe in that.”

Chennaiyin were bottom when we came in but I’d watched a few games .. they had good players and just needed a lift

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 ??  ?? STEWART assistant
STEWART assistant
 ??  ?? SPICE OF INDIA Coyle is enjoying football again as Chennaiyin gaffer and proving point to doubters who had written him off
COUNTY COURT Coyle’s reputation took a severe blow in Dingwall – but he’s bounced back in India
SPICE OF INDIA Coyle is enjoying football again as Chennaiyin gaffer and proving point to doubters who had written him off COUNTY COURT Coyle’s reputation took a severe blow in Dingwall – but he’s bounced back in India

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