11 Questions with Gokul Krishna

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Gokul Krishna:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

I've been a fan of the sport and I've always wanted to contribute in any way possible. I'm not a good player but I like to make sure that I back the team, control the game and bring out the best of the team I'm playing since my schooling days. 

Being a CS undergraduate student and very much involved in sports, I was eager to get into football analytics but couldn't get much into it as there was no proper guidance. Friends of Tracking by David Sumpter is a great initiative that pushed me from wanting to actually do analytics. If there is one good thing that happened during COVID-19 and lockdown, it has to be that the FootballAnalytics community is starting to develop. 

What attracted you to data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

I'm a big fan of the eye test. I used to watch games and like to analyse the football sense that the players have. What sets apart the good player from an average player? But this was all happening intuitively and I wanted to back myself and this is where the numbers help one.

Now, names or number. Numbers can surprise everyone tbh. I feel the numbers that we analyse are still not very advanced to be just dependent on them.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

The player that fascinates me is someone like Wijnaldum or Busquets. There are really underrated and always help the team in a way that's not really eye-catching. Picking those crucial half-spaces, holding the ball under pressure and finding simple and yet better passing options and break the lines are some of those qualities.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

Numbers are more important. I feel numbers with context is really important. Raw numbers without context don't make much sense imo.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

Get involved, do projects and learn stuff. Learn by doing is one of the important lessons that I've learnt. 

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

Domain knowledge is surely important. But it is the curiosity that enables one to gain that important domain knowledge. 

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

In recent times, Liverpool 4-0 against Barcelona in Anfield is one of the best games. The intensity of the game and passion levels were extreme. 

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

It has to be only one person for me. Jurgen Klopp. I've always been a big admirer of him. I tend to follow and support managers rather than clubs or players. First, it was Sir Alex, now it is Klopp. Klopp is a very interesting personality and I feel like there is always something that you can learn from him. Not just in football, but his thoughts on life as a whole is really lovely.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Don't hesitate to take your first steps. First steps will be small but the amount of learning will be immense. Start by doing and don't forget to learn.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

Favourite athlete. Michael Jordan has to be on the top of the list. No one can beat that mentality monster. In football, I feel like Cristiano Ronaldo is equivalent to MJ with that winning mentality and to be the best of the lot. 

What is your favorite quote or saying?

I just read The Power of your Subconscious mind. It was an interesting read. To summarize that in a single line is my favourite quote. 

A man is what he thinks.