Four reasons why Gerard Nus could be the next big thing in Indian football

The Spaniard has inspired the Highlanders to their best start to the season in history.

At second place in the Indian Super League (ISL) points table after five matches, NorthEast United have defied the odds and expectations of not just experts, but even those of their own fans. The team are yet to lose their first game this season and just completed an amazing draw against Bengaluru FC, where they showed plenty of character to launch a fightback after conceding a lead. With the team flying high in terms of results and performances, most of the credit for the Highlanders’ unprecedented success should undoubtedly go to their head coach Gerard Nus.

The 35-year-old was an unknown figure in Indian football before NorthEast United announced him as their new head coach in late August. Obviously, his very young age was one of the biggest factors that made him stand apart from the other coaches. To put things into perspective, players like Bartholomew Ogbeche and Igor Angulo who are older than him feature for Mumbai City FC and FC Goa respectively this season.

Despite it being so, do not let Nus’ age fool you – he is already a UEFA Pro License holder and has plied his trade at various European top-flight teams including Liverpool, Brighton and Hove Albion, Elche, Rayo Vallecano. He was also the assistant coach of the Ghana national team for a brief period of time. Now, he could find himself staying in Indian football for a long time, provided he is able to convert his short-term success at NEUFC into something more substantial.

Khel Now tries to analyse why Gerard Nus will be an asset to Indian football and why he should continue working in the country in the coming years:

4. Faith in Indian youngsters

This season, NorthEast United are among the clubs who have given the most chances to Indian youngsters – and how well have they benefited from it. The likes of Lalengmawia (Apuia), Ninthoinganba Meetei (Ninthoi) and Rochharzela (Chhara) have all been regular names in the club’s matchday squads so far.

Apuia even went on to become the youngest captain in the history of the ISL, when he led his side in their recent game against FC Goa. In his recent press conferences, Nus has himself made it clear that these young players will continue to play an important role in his team throughout the season. That shows the volume of trust he has in them and he is one of the very few top flight coaches to maintain such a level of trust in his team’s domestic youngsters.

3. Tactical awareness and ability to adapt to different oppositions

Before the season began, almost everyone thought that Mumbai City were the team to beat, given the sheer strength of their squad, at least on paper. In comparison, the Highlanders looked relatively lightweight, going into their first game against the Islanders themselves. 90 minutes later, when Nus and Co. emerged winners, it was one of the most surprising results ever in the ISL.

Against Mumbai, Goa and Bengaluru, NEUFC played a very disciplined game with a lot of patience on the ball, whereas against Kerala Blasters and SC East Bengal, the side resorted to a different playing style altogether. For instance, in the match against the Blasters, Gerard Nus prepared his team initially in such a way that they would allow the opposition to hold possession. When that did not work and they conceded twice in the first half, they immediately changed to a more pressing style that helped them score two themselves and draw the game in the second half.

This proves that the coach is well aware of the tactics his team have to follow on different occasions and that he prepares them according to their opponents and not based on a routine pattern.

2. Gets the best out of limited players

It goes without saying that NorthEast United’s squad this season is definitely not one of the stronger sides in the league. Nus has been made to work with a set of limited players – but he has managed to overcome that obstacle in style.

Everyone in the Highlanders’ squad seems to have a clear role or duty, each of which is obviously picked by the head coach. Be it Khassa Camara’s ‘destroyer’ role in midfield, Ninthoi’s pacy runs along the flanks or Dylan Fox’s supervisory duties in defence, Gerard Nus seems to have already identified what the best qualities of each of his players are and he is using them accordingly on the pitch.

1. Positive attitude

As mentioned already, NEUFC are yet to lose a game this season after five matches but three of them are draws that gave the team just three points altogether. In two of those matches, they were close to losing before an equaliser was scored in the last few minutes. In addition, the match-up against FC Goa was marred by off-field controversies that involved Nus himself, apart from Goa boss Juan Ferrando and midfielder Alberto Noguera. Despite all this, the Spaniard has maintained a positive attitude, both on and off the pitch.

For instance, Gerard Nus is yet to utter even a single word of excuse in his media interactions. He has always stressed on the fact that he has a good team and that they would leave no stone unturned in finishing well at the end of this season. While other coaches have repeatedly blamed playing conditions, training pitches, referees, tight schedules and much more for their poor results, the 35-year-old has stood apart so far by not doing so. It will not be a surprise if this positive attitude is reflected in the NorthEast United team and their playing style in the weeks to come.

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