Bhubaneswar: A few days back he was on the stage collecting his award as AIFF’s Men’s Coach of the Year with a quiet appearance and quick departure to join his wards at the team hotel, on the eve of their crucial Kalinga Super Cup summit clash.
And on Saturday, Khalid Jamil came to the press conference alone, following Jamshedpur FC‘s 0-3 thrashing at the hands of champions FC Goa, giving his disappointed players a break and taking the responsibility for the defeat on himself, in the inimitable style that the 48-year-old has come to be known for.
“Everyone of us was desperate to win this tournament and all of them are very sad right now. But I told them that everyone tried. We’ll have to bounce back from this disappointment. But I don’t have any doubt in the commitment from the players,” Khalid said at the media interaction.
It was also a frustrating end to Jamil’s wait for his second trophy as a coach, having guided Aizawl FC to the historic I-League title in 2017.
But even his counterpart in the final, Manolo Marquez, was quick to point out Jamil’s stature as an Indian coach and the impossible things that he has achieved in his coaching journey so far.
“The results are there for all to see. I don’t even need to speak. He (Jamil) was champion with Aizawl in I-League. He played the ISL playoff with Northeast United. He played the playoff this season with Jamshedpur,” explained the now full-time Indian national coach, whose FC Goa were beaten in both legs of ISL by Jamshedpur this season.
“He has worked with teams that don’t have too much and are without much budget. People can talk about liking or not liking his style of football. But the results are there at this moment. In terms of results, he is the best Indian coach, without any doubt,” reiterated the former Goa coach.
Breaking from his usual tactic of playing a lone striker, Jamil started Saturday’s final with a 4-4-2 formation — with Jordan Murray joining Javier Siverio upfront and Javi Hernandez dropping a bit behind. He also gave Jamshedpur local boy Nikhil Barla a start and he did his job down the right flank.
However, Borja Herrera’s opener changed the tone of the summit clash.
“That’s why we substituted (at change of ends) and used Imran (Khan) and (Mohammed) Sanan for more crosses. Not just high crosses, but low crosses. Unfortunately, they scored the second goal from a lovely shot from Borja. And then the third goal from the counter,” Jamil explained his tactics throughout the 90 minutes.
“But we needed to be clinical. And today, you can say that it was not our day.”
However, the most decorated Indian coach in the country is not ready to cry over spilt milk and is already looking to find the best mix of players for the upcoming season. “Now, we must think about the next season. Which players should we keep, and who needs to be released. This is how we can rectify the mistakes of this season and build a good solid team for the next,” the coach of the year signed off.