INTERVIEW WITH THE TOP ELEVEN 2023 PLAYER AND ALOYSIAN FC MANAGER

Hello ALOYSIAN FC manager. First of all, thank you for accepting our interview invitation.

Can you introduce yourself to us? You can use your real ID or anonymous ID.

Thank you for this opportunity. My name is Craig Thomas and I am the owner of the Indian Club ALOYSIAN FC. My Twitter handle is @1986.craig

Why are you playing Top Eleven?

I am playing this game to further a long standing passion and dream of mine.

2016 31st of May I tore the ACLs in both my knees. Doctors analysis indicated that I was done playing actively in the sport that I loved.

Earlier to 2016 I was a defender in my school, college and office teams. And not o boast but when I was in defense, there was not a single attack that got past me.

The injury of 2016 robbed me of the passion of playing the game and winning for the teams that i represented.

I went to start work as an MBA grad and thought I could move away to take up a role in sports management but that was not an active field unfortunately in my country then. So 2017 I came in and started playing this game to do two things. Make me feel the energy and love as a player and fulfil the dream of running a club that is financially successful.

What does Top Eleven mean to you?

To me top 11 is my alternate life. The life that I never had. But with all its twists and turns, I get to live out this dream in my alternate world. And this game allows me to live out my managerial passion.

I always wanted to see an Indian club be successful and compete with the best in the world, on the worlds stage.

This game allows me to do just that.

What is the team name we use in the game? Why did you choose this team name?

The name of my club is ALOYSIAN FC. It’s named after my school St. Aloysius High School.

It’s the school where I learned to play soccer. We had this big group outside our school that was filled with sand. It was on this haloed ground that I learnt to play the hard way. The hot sun would heat the sand and would burn our feet through the soles of our shoes.

It’s here where I learned to persevere through pain and hard times.

Therefore I chose this name for my club because it’s about making a name for the club for Indian clubs in the world. And I wanted to do it with the name of my school at the helm. The place that toughened me up.

Are you a member of a particular community? Can you introduce your community for us?

In the past I have been honoured to be part of 2 communities like Inferno Warriors, Top Eleven Elites.

Now I am part of the Top Eleven Global Community.

This community is truly global in its approach. We want to take our competitions to the world and make it open to all and give opportunities to all players big and small (game level wise) to come in and showcase themselves in an even and fair playing field.

Can you give information about your team’s tactics?

Oh my tactics? This is simple.

No Nonsense Defending.

We stick it to our opponents. Hit them hard and stick it to them from the start. That way we boss the game and boss the way the game flows. That way it allows us to play our style and dictate the ebb and flows of the game.

I use the 4-2-3-1 formation as this one gives me the option to keep control all across the field with that little bit extra in defense.

Do you have any criticism and solution suggestions that you would like to convey to Top Eleven managers?

So this one is a criticism and a suggestion.

A lot of times I have seen too really too class managers come in, splurge cash on their teams and then when the going gets tough and the losses come in, they bail.

My advice is please don’t. Soccer is a game where anything can happen. Think back to 2004 when Greece win the European Cup.

That’s the beauty of this game. Anyone irrespective of finances can win.

Instead invest time in grooming your players to play to the style and ideals you set for your team. That’s soccer and that’s the managerial way.

At end I want to say thank you for the opportunity. This website is a great avenue to spread our message of brotherhood to all the players.

And it’s a great step towards being inclusive.

Thank you Craig, have a nice day.