Reality Check

The 13th I-League season was launched on Thursday in New Delhi where national football coach, Igor Stimac made a surprise appearance with the trophy. "I'm here to show that the I-League is as important as the ISL. I'm here to send the players the message that all those who have an Indian passport are possible candidates for the Indian team", said Stimac, the former Croatian international. This gesture is expected to now motivate players to perform as good performances would draw the eyes of the head coach. Stimac has also been spotted coming to watch the ISL matches frequently. Though it was only on Tuesday that India's chances of a World Cup berth were washed out virtually, Stimac continues to look at the positives of his brief stay at the helm. But, the grim reality lies in the fact that such narratives can be deceptive. The 'never give up' attitude after not being able to register a single victory in the on-going World Cup Qualifiers against lower-ranked teams is only an exaggeration made by few social media pages and some form of media or the other.

Any football brain would undoubtedly realise that we are far from dreaming of a World Cup berth. Stimac did admit that he was disappointed upon failing to register a single victory out of five attempts. It has to be agreed that the climatic conditions of Tajikistan and the opponents' superior gameplay did make things difficult if exposure of the national team is accounted for. But, the injury problems were the most difficult.

"Losing important players like Sandesh Jhingan, Rowllin Borges and Amarjit Singh and then Pranoy Halder missing out a couple of matches initially and getting injured during the Oman match, all these have contributed to the results", added Stimac. But this further opens up a new discourse:

Do we have a strong enough team including the bench strength to play longer tournaments like the World Cup even in case of injuries or suspensions?

Stimac's ideology and impact

Stimac's ideology in building the national team would need no introduction. 35 changes in the five games stand testimony to his philosophy of building from the back with the midfield being a vital cog. Indian coaches of the past including former Fulham midfielder Bob Houghton (2006-2011), Dutch defender Wim Koevermans (2012-2014) and the most popular Stephen Constantine (2002-2005/2015-2019) intended much more on the improvement of physical abilities of the players. In contrast, Stimac's philosophy is on the line with the modern demands – keeping possession, passing the ball around, man-marking and most importantly, counter-attacking.

When asked about India's diminishing returns this year, the coach remained defiant. He said, "We are trying to develop our players' strengths and conditions. I want my India to play without fear against anyone because that's the beauty of football. Never mind who is on the opposite side. You have a chance to win the game. But if you are adapting your way of play according to the opposite team, you must be weak. You show weakness. I don't want my team to show weakness," he said.

If he has to be believed, he wants a completely new team from the grassroots and everyone around has to accept that we first need to have the basics right and then focus on securing a World Cup. He would probably be the backbone in building a squad good enough to outmatch oppositions if his beliefs and philosophy are executed in the longer run. The defense has improved in his brief stint despite not having the comfort of the main stopper in Sandesh Jhingan. Stimac's pursuit of excellence would need time and patience is expected to play a very important part. Rome wasn't built in a day, was it?

Infrastructure

Many critics of Indian football have accepted the fact that India's vast potential in football is not realised to its potential due to a lack of infrastructure. But these are not the changes one can expect overnight. Many young footballers across the country grow up playing on rough and abrasive patches which means they tend to hold on to the ball a fraction longer and thus eventually eliminating chances of the long ball. The unattractive football we play has a lot to do with the availability of infrastructure and grassroots training.

Preliminary education on the game is lacking and studies have found that 85 per cent of the football players in the country develop knowledge of the game either by gaining experience while playing or by watching matches of various prominent football powerhouses.

From being ranked worst at 173 in 2015 to 106 at present, it has been an upward climb, but this is where the

challenge begins. Playing against powerful teams in like China, Jordan, Oman, Puerto Rico, St Kitts & Nevis, New Zealand, Kenya did help India immensely,

but Stimac's vision can only be achieved if the grassroots infrastructure is improved. The controversy between the two prominent leagues across the country – ISL and I-League ­– still holds the center of a discussion in which grassroots football is not getting much attention.

Challenges for the management

India's challenges lie all across the pitch – defense, midfield and forward. We have been a country that would think scoring more goals is the only way to move ahead, but with changing times, defense holds a key in determining the success of teams. Football is a game on all three fonts and this is what makes it beautiful.

Finding the right defending partnerships has been one of the major concerns for the national team. Leaving alone the World Cup qualifiers, India's defensive record has been a major setback. Despite having multiple-goal leads, India went on to lose matches on multiple instances. During India's clash against Tajikistan in the Intercontinental Cup, India managed to score two goals in the first half. But poor defense ensured that India ended on the losing side with the final score of 2-4. Mistakes on the backline have been continuing despite various reminders. Against DPR Korea, the home team was 3-0 down in the first half itself. India did score two goals in the next half, but the final scoreline read 2-5. The game time these players get is an important factor to consider when their performances are evaluated. Quick passes from the oppositions' forwards have thrown light on the fact that India's defenders lack awareness and tend to run behind the ball as a pack and thereby leaving up too much space for the opposition to score. The man with gloves, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, seems to have lost his confidence and second-choice Amrinder Singh is now knocking on the door.

Scoring goals and dependence on Sunil Chettri has been another aspect to ponder upon for the Indian gaffer. He is the leading active scorer in Asia and second-highest in the list of active international goalscorers – only behind Cristiano Ronaldo and ahead of Leo Messi. There lies no doubt about the captain's potential, and he is accountable for almost two-thirds of the goals scored under Stimac. But lack of creativity upfront when the opposition's defense falls back needs to be addressed. Few others did score goals here and there, but their contributions remain negligible. Chettri is now 35 and he is the main marketing image of Indian football. It has to be accepted that his graph is on a downhill climb and the federation doesn't look obvious in letting him go given the market value he has. But then, there need to be other premier forwards who can make the rare chances count and give the defense a cushion whenever required.

The World Cup berth is a fantasy as of now for the Blue Tigers. India's continental presence in Asia as a footballing house has hardly had any impact. While it is true that during Steven Constantine's period, India managed to register a few victories here and there against a superior team, the scoreline doesn't always reflect the true nature of a team's performances. Causing upsets is not the way forward; holding teams in crunch situations is.

The euphoria of India's World Cup chances started with India's 2003 victory over Zimbabwe at a time when the Zimbabwean team was 85 places higher in the FIFA rankings. Few upsets in the coming years did give people an illusion of a World Cup spot, but we are a nation where a majority call themselves fan of the sport and would be active on their social media handles when Ronaldo or Messi scores, or when the World Cup arrives. Going gaga over a few occasional victories needs to stop for we are still stagnant as a footballing nation.