Want to leave the club in a better position than I found it in: Des Buckingham unravels his vision and Mumbai City FC's ethos | ISL 2022-23

As a journalist, the greedy intent is always to pepper your subject with leading questions to garner some headline-grabbing answers. Occasionally, the interviewee ends up spilling the tea and voilà - there's a story!

Reporters at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Stadium hoped for the same when Des Buckingham arrived at the post-match press conference after his side had just dismantled a distraught-looking East Bengal in December last year. But after the Mumbai City FC head coach brought down the curtain on the night's presser, carefully giving a wide berth to questions surrounding their opponents' inefficiency, the murmur around the room was - Buckingham was all too politic in his responses.

For anyone who has followed Indian football for long enough is well accustomed to the prevailing chaos. Tons of accusations, name-calling, and whataboutery once became the norm. Hence, even a slight sense of judiciousness seems a little too mundane at this point.

But that's how the English tactician and Mumbai City FC have operated through ebbs and flows. Des Buckingham's charisma lies in the tranquility of his demeanor and eloquence.

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster / And treat those two impostors just the same. Buckingham's journey with the Islanders wasn't all smooth sailing. In his first year with the heavyweight club, amid a wave of expectations led by Sergio Lobera's achievements in the previous season, the 38-year-old failed to make it to the knockout stages of ISL 2021-22.

Despite the shortfall, there was never a moment where Buckingham spiraled down the rabbit hole of finger-pointing, at least in public. He believed in his vision and most importantly, he made the club believe in his vision.

And the heroics of this season, where did that come from? In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the former Melbourne City gaffer attested their relentless form to the "trust and support" the club and the City Football Group (CFG) showed him and the process.

Mumbai were triumphant in the ISL 2022-23 league stages, going 18 matches unbeaten before lifting the League Shield. They shattered records on their way, going on a 11-match winning streak and finding the back of the net on 54 occasions throughout the season. Going into the knockouts, they are undoubtedly the favorites to lift the ISL title too.

Yet, a wide smile emerged on Buckingham's chiseled face as he discussed the next chapters with Mumbai City FC that awaited him. His vision just doesn't entail silverware or the first team, but even for the youth and reserve teams to incorporate the ethos of the club. Another reason why he perfectly fits the billing for spearheading the CFG project, alongside being a heck of a coach.

Des Buckingham is a lot less drama, not quite box office, but ample football. Hence, as he speaks, the outpouring passion for the game conceals the irrelevant whataboutery we have been so accustomed to.

Here are excerpts from Sportskeeda's interview with Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham:

Question: After sealing the ISL Shield with a victory against FC Goa, you mentioned that the celebrations will be postponed for the break between the final league game and the knockouts. How have those celebrations unfolded, if I may ask?

Buckingham: Yeah, it took place after our final home game, where we were able to lift the Shield in front of your own fans. We came together after the game, and there was an event put on for friends and family that could be there. It was really nice.

The players then had five days off. We were the first club to finish the regular season so we still had two weeks to prepare for the semi-finals. We had a good time together and enjoyed the moment. Also, we have now had some time to recover, refresh, and recuperate.

Q: You were appointed for the Mumbai City top job back in October 2021. It’s already been almost a year and a half. It’s been a captivating journey to watch, it must’ve been incredible to be a part of...

Buckingham: It's certainly been a journey. (Laughs) This is now nearly a year and a half into the reign. We brought a lot into this club in terms of what we want to do on the pitch and certainly what we want to do off the pitch.

When I look back, maybe it's been the last 10 months that we've started to see some of that come to the forefront. From the [AFC] Champions League we started to see the results, whether it was coming second in the group or the performances that got us there. Then in the Durand Cup, we got to the final on the first try.

We picked up the ISL League Shield without losing a game. I think every member of our squad has taken to the field this season, which has shown the kind of young players we have managed to assemble. So overall it's been a good journey. But I am excited after seeing what we have managed to achieve in the last 10 months and what we can now do in the next 10 or 20. That's a large reason why I decided to stay until the next two years.

Q: Let’s talk a little about last season before we focus on this year's relentless run. It was a decent start to the season and after that loss against Kerala Blasters FC, everything went downhill. When looking back at that period, what did you feel led to that collapse?

Buckingham: People look for one particular result, but for me, it was a vastly different squad from the one that doubled the year before. I only arrived three weeks before the season started. There were players arriving just before the start of the season as well.

When you look at this year, the planning that went into this season started all the way back in January of last year. We've got a way we want to play and although we've made only four changes to our roster, we've now got players that can help us in the way we want to play. Over time, we've brought in the infrastructure in terms of what we do and how we do it into the club. That takes time.

What's happening now here on and off the field is pretty much similar to the environment I come from in Melbourne. That's allowed us to perform the way we have.

5. Des, when you sign for a club like Mumbai City FC, backed by the City Group, there’s obviously a certain level of expectation that automatically falls on your shoulder. After last season, when you failed to make it through to the knockouts, did you at any point feel any amount of pressure? Or did the club always believe in the process?

Buckingham: No. This is now my third year with the City Football Group. I did a year and a half at Melbourne City. We've got a way to work here. Obviously, the first-team environment is very important around the results. But we've got measures internally to look at how we do things.

So, I was very well supported and trusted within the group. And I'm pleased that those internal measures I'm talking about, we've been able to refine them. I would like to think that trust and support are now being repaid with what we've done so far.

Q: Coming into the 2022-23 ISL season, it's been a momentous run for the club. If you could talk about some of these measures that allowed the team to perform the way they did.

Buckingham: We are very clear on the type of football we want to play and for that, we need certain kinds of footballers. Then you need some time to implement that. It's not easy to come into a club and have the team playing seamlessly within two weeks. You have to build relationships, you have to build understanding, and you have to build trust.

We have also worked on the recruitment end, as I mentioned earlier. Then, it's been about how we do and what we do and hold ourselves to that standard on a daily basis. It's probably a combination of those things and quite a bit more.

Q: I talked to Apuia after Mumbai City FC's victory against East Bengal FC in the first half of the season. The youngster then expressed his fears regarding a downfall similar to last season and hence didn't want to celebrate too early. Did you ever have those fears yourself during the league stage?

Buckingham: I never thought about a collapse. The most important thing we did this year when I talked about recruitment is we got pretty much two players in every position. Whether it's Apuia or PC Rohlupuia, they have exactly the same understanding of the role.

The reason this is important is that we've had games this season where we have been 3-0 or 4-0 up, but there have been times when we're 2-1 up or it's 1-1 and you want to bring in players and have an impact. When you've got a hungry group of players who are humble and push each other daily, the players can't rest and assume that they'll play. That was sometimes the case last season.

This has been the case for not just the Indian players but even the foreign players. But when you have players that keep pushing each other, you don't have to worry about a collapse. Even if one player is having an off day, you have another one ready to make an impact.

Q: Coach, could you shed some light on all those staff members who have been working behind the scene to make this incredible League Shield run possible?

Buckingham: Yes, it's been my experience that you can't go anywhere and win anything with one person. I have spoken about this not being a team of individuals in terms of players. It's funny because when the team does well, it's the players and the club that gets the accolades, but when it doesn't, it's the coach that gets the stick. It's football (laughs).

When I look at this club now, as a reflection of some of the other CFG clubs, we've got some incredible individuals working in support roles. Hiroshi Miyazawa and Anthony Fernandes, my two assistants, and goalkeeper coach Rogerio Ramos are very important to what we do and how we do it. Then Danny Deigan of Sports Science and the medical team, led by Sandeep Kurale, help in looking after the players on a daily basis. Narendra (Vakare) looks after the analysis.

(Pointing to the man behind the laptop) You also have Annujj Palaye who looks after the Media and Communications. There are probably 20 to 30 people who are contributing from the background.

Q: Just like you mentioned, coach, there's so much effort that has gone into the Shield victory and every individual match. After all that effort, when you sometimes hear from opposition coaches or even pundits that success is solely down to Mumbai's big purse, does it undermine the team's achievement?

Buckingham: It doesn't affect me. I heard the comments that we're a team of superstars, but I didn't hear that being said about last year's squad. But the reality is we only changed four players from last year's squad.

I think a narrative can be set and then people jump on, but we just want to be the best that we can be without comparing ourselves to others. Others are entitled to their opinion, but we'll just focus on playing the best football we can, developing players, and hopefully bringing some success.

Q: You don't go 18 matches unbeaten without being brave. I observed some general tactical tweaks throughout the season, like playing Apuia higher up the pitch. While someone like Greg Stewart, who earned his name in Jamshedpur FC for playing a much more attacking role, played in the midfield. Could you talk about some other tactical tweaks that helped you shape this team?

Buckingham: In terms of my approach, when I look at modern football, the days of players being specialists in one specific role are starting to go away. When you have players that have the ability to plan and understand different positions, they're important to our approach.

You've mentioned a couple of them, but there's also Rahul Bheke, who is a center-back, but has been playing as a right-back all season. We played Rowlin Borges as No. 10 against ATK Mohun Bagan. We moved [Lallianzuala] Chhangte inside to play as a Number 10 from a winger. Then Greg Stewart played as a midfielder and also as a forward when Jorge Diaz wasn't available. This flexibility allows you to do different things within the game.

But it also comes down to recognizing the quality of these players.

Q: You were among the candidates shortlisted to take over as the coach of the New Zealand men's football team. But you opted out of it and decided to continue with Mumbai City FC. What made you take the decision?

Buckingham: Yes, there were other offers at the time. But for me, I want to be the best coach that I can be. I don't know what it looks like right now, but to be the best I need to be in an environment that is very supportive and has a very clear vision. I spoke around the club and how we want to build it over the next few years, which includes incorporating the reserve team, the youth team, and the academies.

On top of that, I have really enjoyed being here for the last 15-16 months. Now, I am excited to see what we do in the next period.

Q: One team that has been a constant thorn in your side is Hyderabad FC. Despite your relentless form, Mumbai are yet to win against the Nizams. What is it that Manolo Marquez and HFC are doing right?

Buckingham: They are a team that has been together for three years. You can see that in the way they play. Obviously, they have got some very good players, similar to us. But you can certainly see the amount of time they have spent together in the way they go about their business. We're only halfway through that time frame.

On Manolo, I think he has had a wonderful impact on Indian football. Certainly what he did with Hyderabad last year and what he has continued to do this year in terms of challenging us all the way through, it's been great. I have a very good relationship with him personally.

Q: Who have been some of the greatest coaching influences in your managerial career?

Buckingham: I don't want to give you random names but people I have worked with and for. My old youth team coach was a guy called Mickey Lewis who was at Oxford United at the time. I worked with Chris Wilder at Oxford for years and then he obviously went on to coach in the Premier League.

Then I moved over to Australia and was fortunate to work with a guy called Ernie Merrick. He was one of the most successful coaches in the A-League. He was a wonderful person to work with. There have also been other people, not necessarily football coaches, but people in sort of high-performance environments like Ceri Bowley, who is the head of coaching support in the City Football Group, Christian Penny at High Performance Sport New Zealand, and many others.

Q: Coach, you've won your first silverware with the club, favorites win another. The team has shattered record after record over the past few months. Young players have shown enormous growth under your stewardship. Furthermore, you've managed to establish a brand of football, that's captured the imagination of the Indian footballing fraternity. But what is the legacy you want to leave at Mumbai City FC?

Buckingham: I was brought into the club first to develop players but also to implement the City Football Group way of playing. It depends on how you set the club up, behind the scenes as well on the pitch, and we are close to doing that.

But in terms of what I want to leave, in whatever time period that may be, it's to have left the club in a better position than I found it in. It's a saying that I have taken from my time in New Zealand. The next person that comes in can hopefully take it up from there and continue the successful run rather than starting from ground zero. If I can do that, I'll be very happy.

Q: Finally coach, you've now spent quite a few months nurturing Indian football and footballers. What has been your greatest learning from this period?

Buckingham: It's probably understanding how best to work with Indian players. I come from England where there's a certain way you work with academy players. Then I went to New Zealand and Australia and did a similar thing.

When you come here, you realize, being able to build relationships with the head coach is not something they're used to. You don't need to be best friends, but what you do want is for these players to be comfortable around you, whether they're young or old. If they are, they can be a bit more at ease and enjoy, and my ideas and advice can get through to them.