"We wanted to be brave," says former NorthEast United boss Gerard Nus

The former Highlanders' head coach spoke about his arrival in India, early days, unbeaten streak and more.

Gerard Nus took the Indian Super League by storm when his NorthEast United defeated high-flying Mumbai City FC in the opening match of the season. The Spaniard then took part in what was a topsy-turvy few months. After registering a six-game unbeaten run, the Highlanders suffered a small dip in form and then the former Ghana assistant coach was sacked in shocking fashion.

In Khel Now’s Beyond The Scores podcast, the 36-year-old opened up about the eerly days at NorthEast, his  appointment, squad building and the opening matches of the season.

NorthEast United appointment

Gerard Nus’ decision to come to India was based on several factors. “When you finish one assignment in football as a coach, you tend to be proactive and hear options. A lot of Spanish coaches and Spanish influences are there in the country. That was why it was nothing like strange to me.

"Even though I hadn’t worked In India, I had two other spells in Asian football. I was in South Korea at a first division team as an assistant coach. I was also at Melbourne Heart in A-League in Australia as assistant coach. Also, I knew that ISL was getting better and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Philosophy & building squad

Having worked in various spots around the globe despite his young age, the Spaniard came with loads of experience. “As a coach, I have been lucky to be able to work in a lot of countries. One of the key things in my head is that you have to adapt and get results. In NorthEast, we had 12 players coming from the second division. We had zero players who had played at that moment in the national team. That makes you realize that this is what we have and let us make things work.”

The young coach wanted a hardworking team that would not give up no matter who the opposition was. “Let’s make a team that fights for every ball. We're going to be a strong team. We are going to give opportunities to young players. Let’s have passion. We were close to winning almost all games. That was the kind of identity we wanted to create. We wanted to be brave.”

He began recruiting players that fit his philosophy and ideals. “Luis Machado was a player I was keeping an eye from the Portuguese league. The same with all the other players, with Khassa Camara, Dylan Fox and Benjamin Lambot. Kwesi Appiah was known to me because I had him in the Ghana national team when I was the assistant coach. The striker Idrissa Sylla used to play in England, where I worked for four years. All the players that we signed were because I thought they had the same profile that we were looking for. Some of them adapt better and perform better than others. ”

https://youtu.be/0sXf9eSVhJE

Season opener against Mumbai City

The curtain-raiser for Nus’ NorthEast tenure was against one of the big shots in the league in Mumbai City. A praiseworthy performance saw the Highlanders win the David Vs Goliath match, sending a clear message across the league. “The mindset was that we were going to play against one of the best sides not only in India but in Asia, with huge resources and very good players. We had to be at our best. We could not switch off for a second because that could cost us the game. We're going to have to run and work without the ball a lot. We've talent, we have good players and have been preparing well under those circumstances.”

Playing one of the favourites was not intimidating to the Spaniard, who looked forward to the opening challenge. “Sooner or later, you are going to have to play Mumbai. I thought that it was better that we get them early, as I was sure they were going to get better as the season goes on. A team like that is going to keep growing up. The sky is the limit when you have great support.”

Club-record unbeaten run

Gerard Nus also found himself a part of the club’s history, when his team registered six unbeaten games to open the 2020-21 campaign. “We felt proud of it. Getting six Heroes of the Match in all those six games was amazing. It showed that people appreciated how good the team was doing. Getting points in every single game is difficult. That is something we were very pleased with. It was something to build from. In any league, you are going to have ups and downs. When you are winning in football, it is important to keep your feet on the ground. Keep working and keep improving. Stick to the things you were doing well.”

He knows that form is not a sustainable commodity. But, he firmly believes that his team played to their best every moment they were on the pitch. “Sometimes things might not work. But, the most important thing is to be on top of things that you can control. We saw a team that was fighting. A team that never gave up. A team that was close to winning all games. I remember against Odisha, we drew 2-2, but created a lot of attempts in a single game," quoted Gerard Nus.