Never mind the scoreline; here are the positives from #INDTJK

The Blue Tigers displayed their commitment to a new approach to the game but old frailties cost them a winning start.

On 31st January 2018, Ayermic Laporte was pinging 65-yard passes for Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium as if it was a hot knife through butter, but looking closely at it, it wasn’t. It was his debut for the Blues on the ‘other’ (the now favoured) side of Manchester. It was the most comfortable debut we have seen in recent times. Narender Gehlot’s introduction to international football felt the same for a while, but sadly, the feeling was short-lived. 

The 18-year-old certainly promises enough to catch eyes, and if it wasn’t for injury, would’ve started in the backline for the India U-17 side during the FIFA World Cup in 2017 alongside Anwar Ali. Narender’s confidence rode through in the first half, but it faded away in the second half. He made just one mistake in the first half, misjudging the bounce in the 17th minute, allowing a Tajik player a clear shot at goal. 

But he had his roles, and mistakes, to play in the second and the third goal from the visitors. A little bit of help in the fourth, too. It’s the start of a long journey, a journey we expect will go well. He’s too good a defender to continue making those mistakes. A little more freedom will see him excel as one of the top centre-backs the nation possesses. He has that in him, certainly. 

Watch: Indian fans chants outside the stadium ahead of the Blue Tigers' game against Tajikistan

Praising a defender who has been part of a 4-2 mauling isn’t the most logical thing, but at times, we’ve to look beyond just numbers. He wasn’t hitting long balls under pressure - he was finding his friend and now national team pivot, Amarjit Singh Kiyam. On the ground, with the right weight on the ball and rolling it right on the grass. Stuff like that deserves appreciation. Just like conceding goals deserve criticism, which he already has earned enough. 

Rest assured, nobody is not trying to undermine or write off his errors, but the defensive shape of the team had collapsed at the beginning of the second 45. These things happen. The Indian national team isn’t in the habit of playing a high-intensity style, certainly not in the midfield. Fitness standards need to get better. Muscles tend to relax on the break, and it is very difficult to get them back to warmed-up at the restart whistle, something that made life difficult for both Adil Khan and Gehlot. 

While the defenders did make mistakes, Anirudh Thapa and Vinit Rai should be equally blamed for letting their guard down. The defensive midfielders looked lost positionally, and thus, gave up the shape the side so proudly boasted in the first half. Muscle memory, a term captain Sunil Chhetri keeps referring to regularly, will make these players better and more adapted, as they spend more time in this system and intensity. 

 

The forwards aren’t shooting enough

A fan page, Manchester United Hindi, posted this on Facebook while the match was on. 

"CHEETEY SI RAFTAR USKI (He is pacy like a cheetah)

SAARA INDIA JAANTA (The nation knows that)

BAS KABHI KHUD BHI SHOOT KAR LE (Sometimes, try taking shots on the goal)

BHAI MERE UDANTA (My brother, Udanta)"

That may be as cheeky as they come, but it is a point well made. Modern football has seen evolution and wingers play a very critical role in adding a different layer of attacking intent to any team’s charge. 

Udanta Singh, because the meteorical rise of Sahal Abdul Samad and Anirudh Thapa, was being called the next baton-bearer of Indian football after Chhetri, even by the No. 11 himself. If the Bengaluru FC speedster wants to continue on the same road, he should start taking matters into his own hands. 

He needs support, though. Amarjit and Rahul Bheke tried to find him through the lines, but Brandon Fernandes’ vision is India’s best bet, inarguably, to do that job. Fernandes has tirelessly done it for Jackichand Singh and Ferran Corominas at FC Goa and with willing runners around him, the man would hardly put a step wrong. 

Lallianzuala Chhangte and Udanta need to get into their rhythm, and when they’re in the zone, it will be a visual treat for the team. Igor Stimac has certainly instilled confidence in the young players, and this pair can excel with a little more freedom. They need to add the shooting attribute to their crossing boots, and things will start falling into place soon. 

A new page has been turned

Honestly, no one expected such dramatic changes when Stimac first arrived. And here we are, 50 days after he was appointed, giving 18-year-olds international debuts and bringing players out of oblivion and making them national heroes. And no, not just on paper, he has changed things on the pitch as well. Some moves involving Chhetri and Sahal were absolutely sublime, and India is finally playing passes! (touché)

You don’t need to rely on 11 players, if you’ve good enough 20. A national team, globally, sets the standards for club football and if this tradition comes to India as well, it will do wonders. Clubs such as Jamshedpur FC already play a similar style, but a nationwide approach to build-up football would be a major positive - something Indian football has longed for for some time now. 

Selections to the starting XI

In the training game that was played in Mumbai before the Hero Intercontinental Cup, Narender was one of the best performers in the match. Absolutely pocketed the opposition whenever they came near him. The boy made his debut against Tajikistan and while he may not have replicated the same, he certainly deserved his chance. 

When Stimac arrived in India, we had written that Vinit Rai would be one of his first choices. Little did we know that he would entrust the role to Amarjit, who, in a similar mould, passes the ball forward more than Rai. It’s a bold move, but certainly an understandable one. Amarjit positionally is better than the Delhi Dynamos player, plays most of the football with his back towards his own goal, and has a similar passing range to Rai. Why not? Age is just a number. 

Thapa is the best No. 8 in India at the moment. Period. His ability to transform defence to attack in a matter of seconds is what makes him special. Restricting him at No. 6 and over-exposing him at No. 10 are mistakes, mistakes we're glad Stimac hasn’t made. He was tried at the No. 10 role against Thailand for a while, but retracted later. This suits him. His performance justified his role. 

The manager, so far, has been conventional at the wings. He hasn’t tried inside-forwards, a move he’s very likely to use in the future given the options he has. Brandon Fernandes and Michael Soosairaj (played against Thailand at the King's Cup, however, was dropped from final squad for Intercontinental Cup 2019) would come in, and Chhangte would move to the right. It will be interesting, but until then, we should just allow some time and breathing space to the Croatian to try out different combinations and shapes. 

Well played, Gujarat

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The stands did not have a dejected look and alas! There was no video from Chhetri this time. There was a lot of buzz about how the cricket-and-business-mad city would react to its first international tournament, and it did well. 

Let’s hope India continue the good work upfront, and plug the holes in the backline against DPR Korea when the two teams go head-to-head on July 13. Until then, let’s just hope Sahal gets back to peak fitness soon, because if Brandon comes in for Chhangte, it will be another attacking paradise for the Blue Tigers.