Indian Football Season 2018-19 Review: Indian Arrows

The Indian FA's developmental side showcased brilliant attacking play at times, partnered with defensive maturity.

Young Indian Arrows and their young coach Floyd Pinto showed flashes of brilliance, of exuberance and of casualty (synonymous to their young age) along the way as they notched six wins in 20 attempts over the course of another educative I-league season. The team from AIFF’s pilot project must have walked on with their heads held high, having given a better account of themselves compared to last season.

The Super Cup was a short journey, as FC Goa shut door to their dreams with a one-sided 3-0 win. But the league saw the Arrows improve a lot as they jumped from the bottom to the 8th, with performances on the pitch certainly advocating their position. The departure of some players notwithstanding, the addition of a couple of handy players from the U-16 team helped the side as they showcased, at times, brilliant attacking play. Defensive maturity, too, with the addition of Mahesh Gawli in the support cast, improved. Anwar Ali, for most fans and experts, has become one for the future, not for nothing.

Fact Sheet For Indian Season 2018-19

 Season Finished: 8th

 Games Played: 22 (including Super Cup)

Won: 7

Lost: 12

Drawn: 3

Win %: 31

   GF: 21

GA: 31

Pre-Season

A major chunk of this side played its pre-season against countries India’s senior teams haven’t ever faced. The India U-19 squad, predominantly the core of the Arrows, faced France, Croatia, and Argentina, defeating the La Albiceleste 2-1 courtesy the infamous Anwar Ali free kick. The side had probably the most variegated preparation for the league.

They travelled across Europe, South America and the rest of the world to play several club sides as well. The team also managed to hold Venezuela to a goalless draw but succumbed to dual-defeats against Serbia. In India, they played a practice match against FC Pune City, but lost 5-2.

Coach Pinto did not have enough time to try out different combinations against the national teams, and that seemed to have pulled him back, as his players grew into their positions over the course of the season.

Top Performers

We could’ve added Deepak Tangri to the list (Yes, he was that good), but the influence of the three players Pinto prophesied Rahul KP, Amarjit Singh Kiyam and Prabhsukhan Gill as the key to the side’s chances. It turned out exactly how the gaffer projected.

 

 

Underperformer of the Season

Suresh Singh Wangjam was jittery and failed to shine

He wasn’t the weakest link on the pitch, but tracing his career graph back from where he started, Wangjam hasn’t reached the heights he was expected to. Captain of the same group during the U-16 days, the lad from Manipur hasn’t burned the central midfield grass like he was expected to. A frailer Amarjit has looked more composed and has added incredible passing to his gameplay, something that Wangjam has failed to. His solid game, too, looked jittery and we expect him to make a comeback next season.

Top Three Performances

1. Mohun Bagan 1-3 Indian Arrows 

2. Kerala Blasters 0-2 Indian Arrows

3. Indian Arrows 2-1 Minerva Punjab

Coach's Report Card

Going by what both Bibiano Fernandes and Floyd Pinto have done to youth teams, India should continue to keep them at the helm for the foreseeable future. Last season, Luis Norton de Matos wanted the team to play his style of 4-2-3-1 while this season, Pinto looked at his players, gauged their abilities and devised a plan for them to be comfortable and strong with. Everyone looked comfortable. Players like Boris Singh and Sanjeev Stalin were regularly asked to attack, something that came naturally to them.

Newcomers like Aimol Chongompipa Reamsochung also looked comfortable, and that shows how Pinto has managed to make the team a strong, well-gelled unit that is willing to incorporate new ideas and welcome new mates. Mahesh Gawli’s appointment to the support staff visibly helped the defenders, as the team’s shape become more rigid for the entirety of the 90, irrespective of the score on the board. That will take the back four a long way.

Super Cup

The team continued the good work in the Super Cup, having finished the league defeating bigwigs Mohun Bagan 3-0 at their base. The confidence was brimming and it showed as the Arrows defeated a powerful albeit tired Kerala Blasters side 2-0. The Arrows did not allow the Southerners to control the tempo and won the qualifier.

They faced a different beast in the Round of 16 in FC Goa, and lost 3-0. All resistance broke when the Gaurs found the net for the second time in the 60th minute and controlled possession to the T. This game must’ve taught the prodigies a different footballing lesson altogether.

 

Lessons to be Learned

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Finishing. Amarjit and Rahul threaded through passes like they were pieces of cake, but the end products weren’t always that refined or sweet, shall we say. Aniket Jadhav and Rahim Ali, both mostly used on the flanks, haven’t really grown in the finishing department after last term and had Rohit Danu and Amarjit Kiyam not stepped up, the Arrows’ numbers hadn’t been that great.

Danu scored four times in 14 matches and is just 16. That shows that the squad lacked a proper striker at the World Cup, and India would have benefitted from one. Others, too, should step up. Another lesson to learn is to see off games. The Arrows need to play at the highest momentum and fitness, too, needs to grow. While they cannot outdo their opponents on the height and physicality factor just yet, speed and incessant runs behind the defenders is something that can cause a lot of worry to the opposition if imposed well.