Top three positions Igor Stimac needs to address at the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2019

The Blue Tigers host Syria, Tajikistan and DPR Korea at the second edition of the tournament. 

The Indian national team have been witnessing a remarkable turnaround in the way they have played. Since the arrival of Igor Stimac, India have looked to keep more possession of the ball, compared to what they did under Stephen Constantine. The Blue Tigers look to work more with the ball and play attacking football, which has been a sight for sore eyes for fans.

As promised by Stimac, he has called-up almost every deserving name, providing everyone with the opportunity to have their say on a future with the national team. Some of the players like Sahal Abdul Samad, Amarjit Singh Kiyam and Raynier Fernandes seem to have impressed the coach, while there are a few who will have to work hard to catch the eye of the Croatian.

We take a look at three positions for which the head coach will want to find his first-choices for the starting XI in the Intercontinental Cup:

3. Right-Back

One of the most important positions to find a suitable player for before the start of the World Cup Qualifiers is that of right-back. Pritam Kotal enjoyed almost a free pass under Englishman Constantine, being one of the regulars in his defensive line. Rahul Bheke was overlooked and the Bengaluru FC man wasn't called-up for the AFC Asian Cup.

The denial of an opportunity to Bheke was not received well by the fans and the journalists questioned the former tactician over the exclusion of the player. On the other hand, Pritam Kotal didn't have a very impressive outing in the tournament, as his performances were sub-par throughout the competition.

Stimac, for a change, did give Bheke game-time in the King's Cup, only for the defender to produce one of his worst performances against Curacao. In defence of the defender, Bheke was asked to play as a centre-back. However, even if he gets going in the starting XI as a right-back, finding a quality back-up for him is the need of the hour.

While there are not many names who have played as a right-back and done well enough to play for the national side, another name that can replace Kotal would be FC Goa's Seriton Fernandes.

 

2. Centre-Back

The Indian team has found it difficult to keep clean-sheets in recent games, firstly because of the drop in the level of Anas Edathodika due to an injury and then because of no reliable option being available to replace the seasoned defender.

Players like Rahul Bheke and Adil Khan have been asked to fill in the shoes of Edathodika, although one would argue that playing them in a position they aren't accustomed to isn't a wise thing to do. Khan performs best when played as a midfielder, while Bheke is one of the best right-backs of the country.

Stimac seems to be of the same opinion and has brought Edathodika back into the setup. Players like Anwar Ali, Narendra Gehlot, Gaurav Bora and Salam Ranjan Singh are also in the fray.

1. Striker

Throughout his managerial career, Stimac has fielded his sides in a formation that has never had more than one forward. Sunil Chhetri seems to have been given the #10 position by the Croatian, having played there for the Blue Tigers in the King's Cup. So, the tactician would have to find someone on whom the team can bank on for goals.

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India have an abundance of options when it comes to finding someone who can play as the lone striker, but the poor performances and sub-par output of the forwards have had the Blue Tigers begging for the ball to get into the back of the net. Sumeet Passi, Manvir Singh, Balwant Singh and many others have been used, but with little success.

Jeje Lalpekhlua did well under Constantine, but the "Mizo Sniper" has had some very tough outings last season. Lalpekhlua went almost the entire campaign without scoring a goal in domestic or international football. Jobby Justin could be an option for Stimac and the young striker's name is part of the final squad for the Intercontinental Cup. With a succesful season on his back, it would be interesting to see if Justin possesses what it takes to cement his place in the starting XI.