With Malta's BOV Premier League just days away from the start, Maltese champions Hibernians FC are the team to knock of the perch in the coming season.

The Malta Independent met the Paolites' head coach Mark Miller at a prominent hotel in Malta to talk football.

32 years in Malta

Englishman Miller needs no introduction to local football.32 years of football in Malta was the automatic introductory phrase referred to the Englishman from Newcastle.

"I arrived in Malta in 1985 signing for Floriana FC.  At that time Reggie Holland was the President.  Then I went back home and came back signing for Rabat Ajax FC, where I spent two and a half years. Finland was my next stop with Palloiluseura Apollo, then I came back to Floriana, where I took over as player coach."

"My first real coaching job arrived when I moved to Sliema Wanderers FC as player coach.  I moved on to Hibernians FC again as player coach in the first season.  After this I hung up my boots and again Hibernians FC were my first real experience in the world of coaching."

"I went back for a very short spell at Floriana and then went to the national team for 9 years with the youths and Under-21's.  Then I returned to Hibernians FC.  I stayed for four successful years there before I decided to head to Valletta FC where I stayed for another two years."

"After this I decided to quit local coaching to go and coach for a company from the USA, PSC (Pro Soccer Consultancy Limited) and travelled the world with them for 18 months.  

I enjoyed that, having a break from this country, as it was time for me to do so.  

Back on the island I got an offer from Qormi FC in order to help them, as at that time they were bottom of the table.  I did not really plan to get back immediately but I accepted their offer to help them out and we managed to avoid relegation and save the club.  For me it was a totally different challenge than the others.  I enjoyed my time and really enjoyed working with the boys.  Incidentally it was at Qormi where I first really met my right hand man at Hibernians, Josef Mansueto from whom I took over at Qormi FC, even though at that time I tried to convince him to stay on and work together at the Qormi club.  So yes life has got a funny way of working out as we finally ended up working together at Hibernians"

Homegrown players

With his typical Geordie dialect Miller grinned at the next turn in his career.

"I was travelling and I got a phone call from Hibernians. They asked me if I was interested to come back.  The club had changed its' philosophy a bit and had gone in another direction.  The club wanted me to try and get them back on track although the nursery has become much more difficult as they always liked to promote the home grown players.  We have tried to do that and we have tried to show that we are a club that if you are good enough and work hard enough the home grown players eventually will get an opportunity"

The topic about the seven-foreigners per team had to pop up at some point during our conversation.

"It is harder now for the home grown players to establish themselves.  It puts pressure within all the clubs.  The new rule today is that at 18 you have got to give the player a contract.  I remember at Hibernians before it was 21 and we could develop these players nice and easy with less pressure."

"It is a financial challenge for the clubs. The difficult part for the clubs is that they have got to keep the player interested because now it is harder for the locals to get into the first team.

I remember giving debuts to Bjorn Kristensen, Johann Bezzina, Jean Paul Farrugia, when they were still 16/17 year-olds.  Now it is very difficult to do just that with a youngster because of the pressure that the coach has to get results, it's a different game now with the foreigners, all the games are tough because the clubs try to stretch their budget just to get that extra player/s in order to survive within Malta's elite division.  So the league has changed - it has become a common ground now, much more equal"

Break

Miller reflects back on his 18-month working break away from the shores of Malta "I went coaching in Sweden, Ireland, Thailand, USA, etc.  It was different types of coaching completely; it was developing groups of University young players trying to become pros and working with the elite players.  It was another side of coaching and I enjoyed it a lot.  

Travelling, meeting different people, seeing the world, working with players looking for an opportunity in life to be a professional footballer.  So it was another time in my life"

Back Home

What he found different once back with Hibernians at the start of last season was according to the 54-year-old Englishman quite surprising! 

"For me there was a big difference in the players' attitudes. I got a shock when I walked in at Hibs after those 18 months away from the local game because my philosophy has always been directed to your attitude, approach and respect.   If you do not have them I do not think you can have anything.  They are the first things you have to stamp down as a coach. You have to be the first one, the example.  If you can't respect and communicate with your players, how can you expect them to do likewise?  

That was one of the main things we addressed and then just hard work really, organization.  We have a good staff, with my assistant Josef Mansueto, Mario Muscat, Mat Emerson, Karl and all.  We are good friends and we get on well.  Working abroad during the UEFA Champions League matches helped us bond more.   We are united and that is very important.  

You have a team, a group of people who bounce of each other and make each other stronger.  I have learned how we do that and we do that well.  "Like a good wine you get better"

Pressure

Miller continued about his philosophy of how he handles pressure at top-level football management

"Definitely.  I am very serious but I don't take it too serious like before.  It is not like that my life depends on it now.  I want to win, I am desperate to win always but I can take defeat much better than I used to.  Lets say I know how to handle it better; it's important to be able to switch off. I know how to wake up in the morning and do something else.  And with these little things that I have in my life, that has helped me. You are in a small country and everywhere you go football, football, the phone doesn't stop.  There are just as important things in your life and these should be shared with your loved ones."

Results

With his Geordie accent always in control during our conversation, Miller was asked his views about the lack of positive results within the senior Malta team.

"Look we say we have been lacking results but I think we have had reasonable results.  People keep throwing Iceland in our face.  They are warriors!  For me it is unfair.  They are different people - they are Vikings!  

I am not saying the Maltese are have that soft touch but Iceland come from a different environment, a hard background.  Iceland has worked hard over the coach education factor.  Now Malta is doing just that. 

Stephen Grima is doing a great job at the Malta FA.  It started from Horst (referring to former German coach Horst Heese).  The UEFA Courses within the Malta FA started back in 2000 and I was part of that then.  I see the whole picture now."

Miller was the assistant coach to Malta national team coach, the German Horst Heese between 2003 and 2005  "Then Steve Grima was brought in and together with Duzan Fitzel who took over the reigns of Malta in 2006 and Robert Gatt we would all work on the coaches together"

UEFA Courses

"When the UEFA Courses started I used to do the practical sessions and I got to know the young coaches better.  Many are now my friends; they have jobs with Premier League clubs.  I think they looked up at me and they respected me.  

The Pro Licence group was excellent, not only for learning but to bring the best coaches on the island together.  We learned how to work together and help each other during the course.  

Here we are competitors for 90 minutes but when that is over we need to help each other.  If you keep everything to yourself you never learn anything.  You have got to share your knowledge and I have always been a sharer within coaching."

"Regarding results for the Malta national team, everybody looks at it in a different way.  I think we hold our own.  I think we make it difficult to every opponent that comes here.  Away matches are maybe more difficult for us but if you look at the results for example against Italy I think they were respectful and I think Malta is more respected in international football now.  In my opinion I think that on occasions we can be bolder, take a risk when its 1-0 try to go for it - Recently the Malta Under-21 side have shown this.

I know as an ex national team-coach how difficult it is, when you have got to choose from a limited number of players. I think we have a lot of players for selection now but of less quality than they used to be."

Right Facilities

"The training facilities, the education the physical, technical, tactical the analysis of the game, how we prepare, this has all changed and improved.   The game has become more detailed in our preparation.  All this means we have got that little extra help to prepare.

I do not think we have got the Busus (Carmel Busuttil), the Buttigieges (John Buttigieg) the Mundus (Raymond Vella).  Sadly we don't have them anymore.  I have mentioned a few but there were more."

Why has Malta stopped in producing this past talent, was the immediate question passed on to the English coaching mentor.

"Simple.  We do not have street football anymore! Our children and kids are brought up differently.  We now have many facilities but where can the kids go to play once the facilities are closed? We spent hours playing in the streets!  Today's children get one and a half to three quarter times a week at a nursery."

"Before kids used to play on gravel, sand and in the streets - not anymore, you don't see them."

"Ok it is nearly 100 degrees out there today but I was in Africa, in Senegal.  I tell you hundreds and hundreds of kids in the midday heat enjoying playing football.  Unbelievable!   When you see the facilities they have and yet the talent they produce.  When I go into the pitch in this heat I remember Senegal!  I reflect upon this and say "eh, it's hot so what?  Let's work hard and get on with it."

"My own experiences have got me to think a lot deeper.  I just think here we need to be more professional at football clubs and to be more professional you need finance and where are we going to get finances from?"

"When each club in Malta has its' own facilities and have everything in it that is needed, pay staff, not having volunteers, then we can improve.  But now we are where we are and I don't think we can get any better"

Being Professional

"With respect to the Maltese, most of the professionals are foreigners so at Hibernians we are lucky to have for example to mention a few we have Andrew Hogg and Andrei Agius who are paid just like professionals.  They live and train like professionals.  People like Andrew and Andrei can only improve through this set-up.  We have seven to eight professional players at the club, so I can say that Maltese national team players can benefit from the professional set-up at our club."

"We (Hibernians) train morning and evening and that helps the national team players.  Before, the national team used to train three times a week together.  It was ideal for the physical element to get them fitter and stronger in a good football environment but a player needs to be at his club working with his team and then he goes to represent his country.  That is the way it should be done."

"We should be doing that because we are a small country, travelling is short, so this is to our advantage. We can get the team together for example 10 days before they play a national team match.  Today I think the national team coach needs to go around watching the players, see how they are doing in training with their clubs, who is having a good time and who is not, speak with the respective club coaches, and communicate.  It is different now, we have to adapt to the situation.  But the physical and the coaching has improved with the professional players, the level has gone higher in our elite league, every club has its' physical trainer, assistant coach and goalkeepers coach.  All this helps a lot."

Team to beat - Hibernians

Hibernians FC will be the team to beat this coming season.  Miller put up a nice smile before coming back with his views.

"Last season we just kept going, we just kept proving everybody wrong with a reasonably small squad.  Yes we will be the team to knock off the perch and the club has recognized it and I have recognized it.  The club wants to stay up there and to do that you have got to invest and I think that once everyone is fit we will have a stronger squad than last year because two things for me are important after winning a league - the players from last term, are they still motivated, can they do it again?  That is my big job; I need to make sure they can!"

"To do that I had to bring in more players, better players to create competition.  So they have pressure to keep their place in the team.  If I manage to do that we will have another successful season.  I am not saying we're going to win it but we're going to try.  

The rest is about luck, referees decisions, injuries, suspensions and all these little percentages.  I think we had luck last year but you have got to make your own luck.  We had a very small squad last term - 13 to 14 senior players.  WE used 60 per cent of the Maltese players, making us the club with the highest percentage of Maltese players on the playing field.  

We did an incredible job, when I say "we", the club, the staff, the people (supporters) it is a different time now, they need to support us in a more different pressurized situation"

Brazilian star striker Jorginho has now left to join Khaleej Club Saihat in Saudi Arabia.  Miller was asked if this would affect the team.  

"It has always been the club's policy that if a player under contract gets an offer which is extremely more financially beneficial, then it makes no sense keeping him because he would be unhappy here.  If it doesn't work out he can still come back to us on good terms.  The player will be grateful for the club and I think it creates a good working relationship."

"It is the same with Bjorn Kristensen.  We do not feel we can lose Bjorn at this stage, but now he's had some people knocking on his door, and we think he should go and if it's right for him, the club feels that he should take this opportunity."  

"If it happens this season good luck to him, we wish him the best of success.   We have other prospects coming through.  Last year Jurgen Degabriele who got his opportunity, maybe now it is time for someone like Dunstan vella but we'll see how it goes.  We want competition and I do not want to lose Maltese players.  This is the hardest part for me to keep the Maltese players, keep them happy by giving them playing time and making them feel important within the squad.   I've got to give them time on the field; I've got to work hard with them.  So far I have seen some positive signs"

 Coaching Abroad

"If the opportunity came to go abroad of course I would be interested but there are many things to consider its not always an easy decision unless they pay me like Jose' Mourinho !!!!!!" joked Miller

"I stepped away from the game after the Valletta job as I decided I needed a rest after 30 years - I had never been out of football.  I went to work with Carmel Busuttil at the Buzu Football School and with the young at Melita nursery, I enjoyed it but I had to go back to school to learn how Buzu (Carmel Busuttil) teaches the young kids.  But it was great because I did something different.  And it is important that you take time out and reflect."  

"Top managers are doing it regularly, Pep Guardiola did it.  There is so much stress, so much intensity that you need to step back.  Take time out enjoy it with your family, but then the itching comes back and you want to get back into it!"

"Sometimes coaches take up the first job and it is not always the right job so you got to be careful because this knocks you down even further.  It was a big challenge for me to take the Qormi post.  I had to get them out of their relegation woes.  I was responsible for this. It was a big job and could have damaged my reputation but sometimes calculated risks are ok.  

Recently the Malta FA Media Department asked me to do an interview for the forthcoming Malta v England match programme.  

The guy, Lennard Keller enlightened me about all the stats surrounding my career.  There are quite a few honours which I guess I should be proud of like that of having qualified five times for the second round of UEFA European competitions with four different teams.  Time passes you by so quickly."

Photos © Domenic Aquilina