Farukh Choudhary: Indian strikers are under pressure to perform in ISL

The Jamshedpur FC forward also feels the quality of domestic strikers has improved over the years.

Jamshedpur FC’s season has been archetypal of their run in the league ever since they came into existence. Almost there, but hardly have they managed to cross the finishing line and make their way to the decisive end of the season. They possess a vast array of impressive foreigners in their squad, but the one native star that has risen through the ranks and constantly makes a name for himself is Farukh Choudhary. Fortunately, Khel Now managed to get hold of the 23-year-old for an exclusive interview recently.

There must be a reason why Jamshedpur always end up on the wrong side of the fence despite toiling hard during the course of the campaign. There must be a factor that has restricted them from success over the years. However, Farukh Choudhary seemed to be dismissive of this notion.

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“It’s nothing like that. Because, it’s football, you know. Anything can happen. We have been very unfortunate in the last two seasons, as in the final two-three games, there is so much pressure to win the game that even the oppositions who are placed below us put in a good fight."

"So, those matches become very difficult. Even this season, we drew three matches and then lost afterwards. In those matches, we had taken the lead and then conceded. If we would have won those games, we surely would have been in the top four by now. But, we have to be practical. The reality is that we are down in the table. So, there’s nothing much to say on that. Instead, we are concentrating on how to win the next few games.”

Farukh Choudhary has risen to become one of the hottest properties of Jamshedpur FC this season

Regardless of the results that Jamshedpur FC have managed to come up with, the Spanish influence in their team, the coach’s philosophy and the brand of football that they aspire to play is extremely apparent.

That’s bound to have some effect on the younger players too. “I think it is a massive advantage for the many young players playing in the league. Because everyone knows that Spanish football is that they like to play with the ball. It is more about moving the ball, creating movements, an overall intelligent style of play," Farukh Choudhary remarked.

"In every movement, the striker and midfielders are involved. By seeing all this, the Indian players, obviously the senior ones are matured, but the younger players like me and others by the next five years, if we play for the national team; it will be very good for us. Because to play with such maturity and understand each other is very important," he added.

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We asked him about the tendency of the teams in the ISL to be over-dependent on their foreign players to score goals. Was it due to the inadequacy of their younger Indian contemporaries? The Jamshedpur FC forward had his say on that, “We can’t say that they are dependent. I think the game-time that foreign strikers get in the league; the Indian strikers do not get that much time on the field in that position. The teams have a foreign striker. When after 10 games, the coach gives a chance to the Indian striker, the pressure is such that he has to perform. I think if he doesn’t perform, then the public perception becomes that the player is good for nothing."

“It’s like that only, as far as I know. If one is not getting the required game-time, he must be training daily. But, being a striker, if one does not get to play as a striker then obviously he can’t do well in that position, right? You need game-time to excel in your position."

The Jamshedpur FC attacker feels Indian strikers are not getting enough chances in the ISL

"I don’t think the Indian strikers are getting many chances in the league, so that they can get that experience and improve themselves. I think there is much more improvement than before in Indian strikers; the work-rate, obviously I won’t talk about the goal-scoring factor as I myself am not scoring the goals. But, other than that, work-rate, the defending part, the fighting spirit; everything has improved a lot.”

Interestingly, Farukh Choudhary has had a stint with Lonestar Kashmir FC earlier in his career. Now, Real Kashmir FC are competing in the I-League. He expressed his views on the necessity of the representation of the Valley in the top football leagues in the country by saying, “It is very important. There are many players who play very well over there. I honestly didn’t know that people in Kashmir loved football so much until I went to Lonestar. However, a lot of fans used to attend our matches and even the players have quality, they want to do well."

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Does the fact that there is a lack of a second prominent striker emerging after Sunil Chhetri for the national team motivate him though? Does he sense an opportunity? We tried to put him on the spot. Farukh Choudhary seemed wise with his answer, though.

“That, I think is secondary. The main thing that motivates me is that I am getting a chance to represent my country. There are a billion people in India and out of that only 20 are selected in the squad. That’s what motivates me to do well. Obviously, I want to score goals. I am working on it. As there will be more chances, I will get more confidence and the experience will increase too," he remarked.

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“It’s at times difficult to combine together given the short span of national team camps during the season. But, I think, we have gotten an idea of what the coach wants and doesn’t, in the camps that have taken place so far. Also, we do not want to completely depend upon Chhetri bhai. He is a legend. But, it is our responsibility also to do well. I mean not only I, but the other Indian players as well. I also take the responsibility that I want to score goals for my country and do well and make my country proud.”

He seemed to be quite restrained about India’s qualifying chances to the AFC Asian Cup through the ongoing qualifiers. “It is possible. I don’t know what unfolds in the future, but we want to do well and in whichever games are left, we will try to give our best," Farukh Choudhary quipped.

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Of everything that the 23-year-old spoke about, his thoughts on the up and coming crop of Indian strikers seemed to be the most passionate. Reiterating the point that he had made earlier, Farukh Choudhary said, “As I already said to you before, the strikers can do well only when they get the game-time. If one goes to the national team, one is played as a striker. He thinks that he will go back and work harder, but when he comes back, the club already has another player playing as the striker. So, he has to sit on bench. I don’t think that will help any player to do well.

“We train always, it’s always positive, but we need game-time as well. The only thing that Indian strikers lack is game-time. I think slowly everyone is getting the game-time and as time passes, everyone will do well. Hopefully, in the next national team matches, everyone will do well. As I told you earlier, it is not only Chhetri bhai’s responsibility. It’s our responsibility, even mine, that as a striker and an attacker, I should score goals,” he concluded.