11 Questions with Kaustabh Pandey

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 Kaustabh Pandey:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

This was back in school. I used to be someone who wrote non-fiction and fiction stories or poems. I began writing them as early as 3rd grade. But by the time I reached 11th grade, I heard of an Indian sports website that allowed writers to express themselves. It was pretty new back then and was called Sportskeeda. It still exists and is doing pretty well. That is where I first started off, technically. Few days later, I got into the GiveMeSport writing academy. All of this really got me into the habit of writing about the game on a daily basis.

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

As I said, writing has been a means of expression for me. I'm not the most outspoken in person and to express myself better, I used to write a lot of random stuff. It helped me carve out an identity from a young age. Around 11th grade, two of my passions combined into football writing. And because of how much time I dedicated to both these passions everyday, it was an easy choice for me. And more recently, it has become more about data and numbers. And for me, numbers have become much more intriguing. Because without numbers, the player can't be special at all.

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

I really love defensive midfielders. They're the most important players in a team and without them, the team will always struggle. They shield the defence and allow them so much security. They might not be attacking players, but their presence just gives the attacking players the assurance to play with freedom. If a team doesn't have a properly functioning defensive midfielder, it just collapses. They deserve so much more credit.

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

I just hate player comparisons. I've grown up seeing people compare Messi and Ronaldo but whenever I was asked that question, I'd be infuriated deep inside. Football isn't plainly about players. It is about the systems players operate in. These systems can make or break players. Comparing different types of players who play in different systems is like comparing pears and apples. But sadly, comparisons are used as a means of seeking likes and attention on social media these days!

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

I'd really love to go back in time and learn data analytics more than I did. It is a fascinating field that goes beyond the general perception of the game. It is like a whole new world of its own. And sometimes, I feel that I'm a late entrant into this. So I really wish I was an early entrant!

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

I think curiosity is much more important. Unless a person isn't curious, there is little chance he/she acquires the domain knowledge to succeed. But after curiosity, people need to put in a lot of hard work to come out as a finished product. That is what matters, in the end.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

There are a lot of moments from football, cricket and one in WWE that are very close to my heart. But I don't think Leicester City winning the Premier League title will happen ever again. I live for underdog stories like those. It was the perfect coming together of players and a manager who were told that they would never make it. But they somehow, toppled the odds. Even though I'm no Leicester fan, I'm proud to have witnessed those times.

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

Tough one, but Sir Alex Ferguson. What most people don't give him credit for is how he handled three transition periods at Manchester United. His teams were flexible in their approach to winning. There were times when they had to dig games out and had to 'park the bus'. There were games when they played brilliant football like the 7-1 win over Roma. To keep doing that over such a long period of time at one club without ever succumbing to player pressure is astounding. His man-management might be old-school for today's generation, but I love no-nonsense characters in football!

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

The biggest advice I'd give to people is to never EVER think that they know everything. If they think know everything, they don't even know the 'f' of football. Complacency like this takes people nowhere. I see people ask me for advice about articles and how to get into football journalism etc. I am open to giving them all day. But what I don't see in many people is that they aren't working hard enough. To go far in this huge field, people need to sacrifice things. They write one article and then forget about it for the next two months. They key is learn new things everyday about the game and express those new things in writings once each day. The higher the input, the better the output.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

I have a host of them from different sports. But one athlete that I've always had some sort of a connect with is Wayne Rooney (and a wrestler called Jeff Hardy too). Rooney was everything I love in a footballer. He was almost like a superhero for me. He went through some hard times at United but always bounced back by responding to critics on the pitch. That is one quality I love about footballers. They're warriors. Rooney defined Man Utd for me. He would sometimes track as far back as a centre-back for the sake of the team. He played so many positions for the good of the others, but still scored goals. He faced so many injuries, but he was willing to take injections to play so many times. Even when he broke Bobby Charlton's record by scoring against Stoke City, he barely celebrated. Because the score was only 1-1 and United were yet to win the game. The guy had become the highest goalscorer in the club's history, but he was only bothered by winning the game for the team. An attitude like that can never be bought.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

Many quotes are close to my heart, but I recently came across this quote from George Best- "They'll forget all the rubbish when I've gone and they'll remember the football. If only one person thinks I'm the best player in the world, that's good enough for me."