We need to defend well and take the chances when they come against Oman- Igor Stimac

The 51-year-old also mentioned that injuries to important players like Jeje Lalpekhlua have been the biggest difficulty for him ahead of the fixture.

The Indian national team are back in business, as the Blue Tigers begin their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign against Oman on Thursday evening. Speaking to the media ahead of the game the Indian head coach Igor Stimac revealed that he wants to trust the process, despite being upbeat about the game. 

Commenting on the preparation ahead of the big match, Stimac sounded optimistic with his players. "It is great to feel this atmosphere and play in a full house of our supporters. We have had three camps, we have had an improvement in our game and the improvements they had on conditioning and fitness. I feel the understanding will be crucial among the players."

Indian ace striker Sunil Chhetri also reiterated the same as he added, "We have had a great training camp, as we had a lot of time to gel and understand the way the coach wants to play. So, now everyone is eager and hungry to go and to do well. So, I hope we keep our cool and give everything we got."

Considering the experimentation done by Stimac in the last three camps, the Croatian tactician was questioned about the first XI that will start against Oman on Thursday.

"Absolutely, we are very clear with the starting XI for tomorrow's game. We have worked on it for the last seven days. Obviously, others have trained well and are ready and fit if they have to come off the bench. We need them for the future as well, with the ISL starting soon. We will follow their performances and work accordingly," he answered.

In light of injury concerns to some crucial players like Jeje Lalpekhlua and Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Stimac conceded that it has been difficult not to have them in the build-up to such an important set of fixtures.

"I think the biggest difficulties were the injuries. Jeje (Lalpekhlua) was obviously one of the important players in the past. He will hopefully get going soon. Also, some of the players got injured in the Intercontinental Cup. We will take good care in future and I feel the training sessions are more important than the games, as i want them to practice and implement ideas."

"We need to focus on implementing the new style which has a bright future in India. Everyone in the AIFF are willing to take the long journey and improving each sector of the game, which can decide the future and the success of Indian football," he reaffirmed.

Watch the full press conference here

The Indian team conceded too many goals in the lead up to their 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Oman and Qatar. Hence, when quizzed about the condition of the backline, Stimac was optimistic that the mistakes from the past won't be repeated by his men.

"It is right that we have conceded some silly goals. But, we also played against greater opponents like against Thailand and Syria, where we have shown we can handle the pressure and remain organized throughout the 90 minutes in each part of the field."

India faced Oman in the second round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, where the Blue Tigers lost out against the Reds 1-2. However, Chhetri feels that both teams have developed from there and that result will not have any effect on the game on Thursday.

The Blue Tigers faced a huge blow with the injury to midfielder Amarjit Singh Kiyam and both Chhetri and Stimac spoke highly of the youngster.

"Amarjit has been a livewire for us on the field. When I first saw him, I was like maybe it is too early for him to join the national camp. I thought it was one of those players who will train with the senior team and then again return back. But. his energy translates to the whole team, as he was the standout performer for us in the last two tournaments," added Chhetri.

Stimac also opened up that he wants his team to play a brand of football which will be known by them. He feels that the progress will take time but eventually India can develop her own style.

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Lastly speaking about the group and the inclusion of tournament hosts Qatar the Croatian said, "I was not afraid of any team in the draw, maybe that's why Croatia is a leading footballing nation nowadays. There is only one idea, that is to win and we are going to do everything in our power to achieve that. None of the teams are unbeatable. We just need to be wise and concentrated and defending well and taking the chances when they come."

Both Chhetri and Stimac concluded the press conference by being realistic in their approach, as the duo believes that the Indian team need to follow a development process and take small steps on their way to the World Cup dream. However, they were also clear with their stance of mentioning Qatar and Oman as favourites to qualify to the next round of the qualifiers from the group.