Securing a spot in the Playoffs early, with nearly a 40% chance of finishing the group stage in the top 2 or higher (based on statistical metrics), has made T1 fans quickly forget the dark times towards the end of Coach Daeny’s reign.
In an interview with FOMOS, Faker was asked about the positive changes T1 has experienced during this transition period. The T1 captain admitted that the new head coach, Stardust, has brought a wave of positive energy, and with the maximum support from Coach Moment and Director Polt, T1 has genuinely transformed in terms of performance, gameplay, and spirit.
Talking about Stardust, Faker eagerly shared his feelings about this familiar yet new coach (Stardust has been with T1 for quite a while before taking over as head coach). In the eyes of the Demon King and other teammates, this coach seems more like an older brother than a strict teacher:
“He has always been like that, always trying to be close and friendly with us. Previously, he and we didn’t have many opportunities to converse together, so when he first became the coach, there was a bit of awkwardness. But he has worked hard to communicate comfortably with us and even helped us relieve pressure.
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I think his current demeanor is very good. The only issue is that the younger players (other teammates) tease him a lot; I just worry he might lose all his hair.”
It is easily noticeable that Stardust has not contributed much in terms of expertise. The head coach of T1 seems to play more of a managerial role rather than that of a strategist. The task of building strategies and gameplay is currently assigned to Moment and Faker. According to Faker, Coach Moment will be responsible for the team’s tactical aspects, but currently, all T1 players are allowed to contribute their strategic suggestions.
Moment will gather these suggestions and compile them into various strategic options for the whole team to choose from before each match. Faker believes this is a positive psychological shift for the entire team. Everyone has a share of responsibility in each defeat, and of course, contributes to every victory.
When asked about the current atmosphere of T1, Faker candidly admitted: “I don’t see much difference, but it seems like everyone feels a bit more comfortable now.”
The phrase “a bit more comfortable” that Faker mentioned made many fans sense some deeper implications. Some opinions suggest that Faker might be downplaying to ease the criticism aimed at Daeny. Given the state of T1 under this former coach was almost fully exposed to the media, several T1 players had publicly expressed their discomfort and frustration due to arising issues more than once back then.
After firing the coaching duo Daeny – Zefa, T1 has gone through an impressive series of 6 matches, with a record of 5 wins – 1 loss, and even still has a chance to compete for the top 2 in the group stage, with T1’s current chance to climb to the top 2 (37.342%) being even higher than Gen.G’s (6.117%), something no one could have imagined just a month ago.
