Three negatives from India's loss against Thailand

The struggling Blue Tigers have a crucial encounter against Hong Kong on June 10.

India senior men’s football team losing 2-0 to Thailand in their recent international friendly was a reality check ahead of the crucial AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. While there were glimpses of individual promise, the overall team performance left much to be desired, especially from a tactical and developmental perspective.

Thailand outplayed India with superior finishing, sharper transitions, and greater intensity. The 2-0 result left head coach Manolo Marquez with plenty to reflect upon a difficult evening at the Thammasat Stadium.

Let us look at the three biggest negatives from India’s performance against Thailand:

India’s midfield got destroyed and outclassed

One of the most glaring issues was India’s inability to control the midfield against the War Elephants. The central pairing of Apuia and Ayush Dev Chhetri lacked the physical presence and tactical sharpness to contain Thailand’s well-drilled midfield unit. Both players were regularly pulled into wide areas, leaving the central corridor wide open for Thailand to exploit.

Ayush Chhetri, still new to the senior international scene, showed promise but was also guilty of several turnovers in dangerous positions. His inexperience was exposed under sustained pressure from Thailand, and Marquez’s selection at national level despite limited selection at club level is perplexing.

Apuia operates at optimal level when he is surrounded by a midfield enforcer who covers spaces he leaves behind. A more physically assertive and experienced presence in midfield might be the player Marquez might need to find to ensure some balance.

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Stagnant attack and over-reliance on Chhetri

India’s attacking line once again looked toothless despite creating a few half-chances. At 40, Sunil Chhetri continues to show flashes of brilliance, trying to manufacture openings from limited service, but the supporting cast has failed to complement him time and again.

Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh couldn’t convert the opportunities they had, and both seemed to be missing their shooting boots in the final third. The persistent dependence on Chhetri to provide goals highlights a long-standing issue in Indian football, the failure to properly develop and implement trust in younger attacking talent.

With promising strikers like Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Farukh Chowdhury and Irfan Yadwad showing quality in the ISL, they need to be given more chances at the national team level. Attackers lacking urgency, movement, and confidence are qualities currently missing from the forward line for India.

Slow substitutions and lack of tactical adaptation

Arguably the most frustrating aspect of India’s performance was the timid approach to in-game management. After going down early to Thailand in the eighth minute, India needed an injection of pace, pressing, and positional changes to shift the momentum, but the response from the bench came far too late.

Manolo Marquez’s decision to stick with the starting XI deep into the second half despite visible struggles, cost India the chance to mount any influential comeback. Attacking options like Suhail Bhat were introduced only in the closing stages, when the game had already slipped away. Bhat’s brief but energetic spell showcased what a change in tempo and intent could have offered earlier.

The broader concern for Indian footballing community is a growing trend of pragmatism over ambition. The Blue Tigers’ reluctance to press aggressively, chase second balls, or dictate tempo left them in a reactive mode instead of a proactive mode. Except for a few late surges and half-chances, the team looked content to contain rather than compete.

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