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In the recently concluded Indian Women's League, Gokulam Kerala FC managed to defend their crown and were winners for a second time. Head coach Anthony Andrews played a major role in the Malabarians dominating the entire tournament.
Anthony Andrews started his coaching career at PIFA (Premier India Football Academy) in 2013, where he was initially looking after their grassroots team. The young coach gathered experience and steadily made his way up the ladder to coach the other age-group sides and then the elite group.
His next venture was with Minerva Punjab FC, with whom he won multiple accolades while also being named the "Best Coach of the Year" in 2017. He managed all the age-group teams at Minerva Punjab FC and also had a stint with the senior team as their assistant coach.
Following a glorious tenure with the former I-League champion, Anthony Andrews moved to Gujarat to work with second division I-League side ARA FC and then to Bangalore to coach Rebels FC.
His work steadily grabbed attention as Anthony Andrews found himself training Gokulam Kerala FC's women's team. The side were a delight to watch as they ousted every team along the way.
Anthony Andrews was recently named the assistant coach of the senior men's team of Gokulam Kerala FC. Shedding light on his journey as a coach and the challenges he was up against, in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Anthony said:
"If you ask me about the drawbacks that I’ve faced in my career, I’d say that I quit my career as a player quite early due to a lot of injuries. The jump from being a player to a coach wasn’t easy for me. I had some difficult decisions to make.
"But if you look at the bright side, I started my coaching career right at the grassroots level. This aided my journey as a coach. I was able to witness the journey of young players and my own and steadily go up the ladder. There were times when being young was a barrier for me as a coach. Sometimes people tend to look for experience in a coach. But this mindset has acted as fuel for me in my pursuit to become a better coach."
"Just like my lows, my successes have been pivotal to me at every point. No matter what level I was coaching at, little nuances that helped me think better as a coach added to my personal development.
The opportunity from Minerva Punjab FC was a big call for me. Winning every possible competition we featured in and earning the title of “Best Coach of the Year” in 2017 was the biggest turnaround for me. I’ve not looked back since.
"Success at ARA FC and Rebels FC followed that. Now everybody has witnessed Gokulam Kerala FC’s women’s side run riot in the IWL. Whenever I am coaching, I look at helping players become better at what they do. Results automatically follow."
Anthony Andrews has had the experience of working with various groups of players irrespective of their gender and age. However, when it comes to shifting from men's football to women's football, coaches often need to understand how to adapt to the situation in front of them.
Shedding light on how things worked out for him at Gokulam Kerala FC, Anthony Andrews said:
"Being a coach, it is essential that we make sure our plans touch upon the four corners of the game. Psychologically, it is important to help a group of players bond, be it any age group or gender.
"At Gokulam Kerala FC, every player was cooperative with each other, the staff, and me. One of the interesting things I witnessed at the club was that the girls were eager to learn and were very quick at picking up new things. The staff helped to a great extent in understanding the physical issues any player faced and how we could overcome these challenges.
"For me, it was mandatory that the players enjoyed the session and were able to learn new things as well as implement new ideas of their own to make the unit function better. For us, it was necessary to keep the girls fit with good food, good training sessions and the ability to utilize the sessions in the matches.
"I always kept the door open for my players to initiate conversations on how they percieved situations and their relevant solutions. This allowed them to learn on-the-go and helped me ideate freely."
"I think the picture is pretty clear"- Gokulam Kerala FC's assistant coach Anthony Andrews on the necessity of grassroots development in Indian football
The importance of grassroots football cannot be overlooked. It is a mandate for any footballing ecosystem to function properly. Sharing his opinion on the way forward for Indian football, Anthony Andrews said:
"I think the picture is pretty clear. We need to focus more on grassroots. If we do not develop a steady system in grassroots or youth football, there will be a dearth of footballers going forward. Every state association and every club needs to develop a grassroots system.
"If kids under the age of 10 don’t pick up the sport, it becomes increasingly difficult for us coaches to train at higher levels. If a player starts playing football late, in comparison to what is happening in European countries, chances are he/she might not make it.
"Since their late teens, a lot of the players who aren’t able to continue in sports have shifted their focus to academics in the hopes of making a career out of it. We are left with very few options."
"It is also important to have good coaches at the starting point. A good coach will not only spot a talented player and train him, but also motivate him in the right way so that the child is able to consider football as a viable career option."
It is highly essential for a modern-day football coach to understand his pathway to delivering results. It is equally important that the philosopher understands the tools available to him in order to deliver the desired outcome.
"Currently, everyone is in awe of tiki-taka. But as a coach, one cannot just jump to the conclusion that he wants his team to play a certain brand. Yes, it is necessary to have an idea of how a coach wants his side to be on the field. But before deciding on that, a coach must look at the players available to him. There may be individuals who may not be able to adhere to a certain style of play because that hinders their ways."
Anthony Andrews mentioned Naorem Priyangka Devi as a player who caught his eye during the last edition of the Indian Women's League. He believes that the former Indian Arrows player will soon become a sensation in Indian football.
