I have been surprised at the amount of criticism our now former coach Bob Houghton has received from the media and fans. Because I think one thing is for sure, Bob has done a lot of things which were and are important for the development of Indian football, but some facts are often forgotten or maybe not even known, while others just seem to criticise for the sake of doing so.
The nearly five year reign of Bob Houghton as coach of the Indian national team ended on Saturday, so lets focus on what Bob has done or tried to do for Indian football outside of Team India.
But lets first look at how it all started. In June 2006 while the whole planet was looking at Germany during the 2006 FIFA World Cup India appointed a new coach in Bob Houghton, who came with a pedigree of over 30 years of coaching experience from around the world. At the time Bob came to India, England under Sven Goran Eriksson took on his native Sweden at the FIFA World Cup in Cologne. Eriksson is one of the numerous Swedish coaches who where heavily influenced by Bob Houghton and Roy Hodgson, who coached in Scandinavia in the 1970s and we actually had a nice conversations about Bob's appointment and Sven had said it was a wise decision by the federation in India.
From those days it is known that Bob Houghton prefers to play a classic 4-4-2, which some would call old fashioned in modern day football though it is result oriented football and in the end results count the most plus it's also known in football circles that Bob mainly relies on a set group of players, he isn't a manager who makes too many changes to his squads. You go with it or leave it.
And when Bob arrived Team India was in a mess. Some players had resigned others like Baichung Bhutia where thinking about resigning and ending their international career, so Bob first had to convince key players to return or stay with Team India.
Some say Bob hasn't developed any talent. Then I simply ask them who where Subrata Pal, Gouramangi Singh or Sunil Chhetri when Bob came to India? None of these boys were anywhere near being key players in the national team. And the next crop of players would have been developed now after the Asian Cup, if given chance as the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers showed.
Bob also ensured extended foreign camps, the best available facilities and that the interest of the players were taken care off, so nobody would have to worry about anything. Things which weren't done in the past and therefore it isn't surprising that Bob was popular amongst his players, though he kept a distance but was there whenever needed and he treated the players like his own sons.
Bob also has been working on getting a youth development system in place. He got Colin Toal as technical director and Desmond Bulpin as coach of the Indian Arrows & Under-23 national side. Along with them he first created and then streamlined Indian football's youth development system. Against opposition from the federation who often said what's the use of spending money on such projects they got long duration camps, foreign exposure trips and better accommodation in place besides fighting for the Arrows to be integrated into the I-League.
The results of youth development work doesn't come overnight it will take time, but to end on an example most of the players in the Indian Arrows are a product of this development work of the last four years and maybe in another four/five years we can judge that work if it is allowed to continue.
You might not like it, but I believe that Bob deserves credit for all the work and whoever comes next has a tough job on hand.
61 year old Scotsman Desmond Bulpin is no longer the coach of I-League Shillong Lajong FC, who relieved him of his duties. Assistant Coach Thangboi Singto will take charge as Interim coach with immediate effect and could stay until tne end of the season, if successful.
