Nehru Cup 2012 : New Era in Indian Football Starts Now

The Nehru Cup kicked off with hosts India defeating Syria 2-1. The Nehru Cup is not only important as a tournament where India are the defending champions, but also a tournament where the new look Indian team with their new tactical foundations will be tested. Youngsters who have shown much promise in domestic league will get a chance to showcase their talent at the top level. Technical director Rob Baan’s vision and Coach Wim Koevermans’ abilities will be under the scanner. India the winners of the last two editions, 2007 and 2009, will have to start this tournament as the lowest ranked side (168^th) and will put forward one of its most young and inexperienced squads in recent times. Here I present a brief analysis of the tactical expectations and opponent’s analysis.

Squad and tactical analysis:

Ball retention, blooding the youngsters and modernization of the tactics seems to be India’s new mantra. However, it’s easier said than done. Imposing tactical changes and bring forward youngsters is not something which gives instant results and thus, India would start the Nehru Cup as underdogs rather than favorites. India’s new coach, Wim Koevermans, has now started to train the team in a style and formation, demanding ball retention capabilities and playing a lone striker upfront, a tactical switch which is getting more takers in international football. Although Wim Koevermans has not publicly announced the formation India is supposed to start with, the team selection and practice matches suggest India might field a 4-2-3-1 formation which might transpose into 4-4-1-1 during the play, depending on the situation. Thus, making an increasing demand on midfielders work rate and creativity. So, how does the squad look like and are the expectations from the players?

Goalkeepers: Subrata Paul, Karanjit Singh and Subhasish Roy Chowdhury

As always, the goalkeeping department looks good, experienced and competent. Any of the three goalkeepers can easily fit into the first XI. ‘Spiderman’ Subrata Paul is the expected starter, however, due to injury he missed most of the last season and when he made a comeback, he was not at his best and that would remain a matter of concern. Technically competent, Karanjit Singh has already made his debut in the international level in Subrata’s absence and needs to replicate his domestic form for three seasons (with Salgaocar and JCT) at the international level. Subhasish is another proven good keeper whose few international stints didn’t go as well as his domestic stints and will probably be the 3^rd choice goalkeeper.

Central Defenders: Raju Gaikwad, Gouramangi Singh, Gurwinder Singh

Experienced Gouramangi is expected to form the defensive pair with youngster Raju Gaikwad. However, this pair has not been the best under Savio Madeira. Gouramangi’s domestic performances have also raised eyebrows. Raju Gaikwad missed a huge chunk of last season due to injury. Koevermans doesn’t have many options too. East Bengal’s Gurwinder Singh has a good physical presence, but is untested internationally while Nirmal Chettri, who can play as a central defender, is expected to take the Wing back role. All in all the central backs look susceptible and will largely depend on the form and chemistry of the first choice pair of Gouramangi and Gaikwad.

Full Backs/Wing Backs: Nirmal Chettri, Rahim Nabi, Denzil Franco

In the left flank, the ever reliable and experienced Rahim Nabi will be a sure starter. Nabi’s versatility and attacking tendencies will be of immense value for the team. Nabi’s marauding runs down the flank and ability to find the net will be exactly what Koevermans need from a wing back in 4-2-3-1 formation. Nabi will probably be given more freedom to move forward than the right back. One concern will be Nabi’s poor form in the AFC Challenge Cup and how well has he recovered. His domestic performance has been good for Mohun Bagan. Youngster Nirmal Chettri is expected to feature in the Right back position. Nirmal had started as a central defender, but in recent times have proven himself an able recruit for the right back position both for India and his last club East Bengal. Inexperienced Denzil Franco is expected to provide cover for Nirmal Chettri. Franco is a promising player but gets suffers from inconsistency in the domestic league. The left back position doesn’t seem to have a good cover and thus Nabi needs to be at his top fitness and form.

Defensive and Central Midfielders: Mehtab Hossain, Lenny Rodrigues, Jewel Raja

International experience is lacking in the central midfield position. Wim Koevermans plans depend on ability of two of the central midfielders to exhibit immense work rate and contribute in defensive work and initiate attacking moves. Domestically experienced, Mehtab Hossain gets a much deserved call. Mehtab Hossain had a mixed 2011-12 season due to injury but he was one of the stars of I league in 2010-11 season. His distribution and combination with the wingers would be crucial for India’s attacking options.

The other players in this position are Lenny and Jewel.Lenny is inexperienced but has provided decent performances for Churchill Bros. whereas Jewel has played for India a few times. Lenny is more of a defensive midfielder mold, whereas Jewel is more stylish and offensive minded. Most probably Jewel will be used as a substitute when Koevermans needs more attacking options and ready to sacrifice a defensive midfielder. Jewel can also play in wings.”

Wingers: Clifford Miranda, Sanju Pradhan, Anthony Parreira

In the left wing, Dempo veteran Clifford Miranda is almost sure to feature. His form for Dempo has been good, although with age he has lost his pace a bit. Whether he can keep his form for full 90 minutes will be an important issue. If situation demands, Rahim Nabi can play as a left winger. In the right wing Sanju Pradhan, who has been in top form for last two seasons (East Bengal) is expected to make his debut ahead of Dempo veteran Anthony Parreira. How Pradhan handles pressure in an international match will be crucial and any lapse in his part will mean Koevermans has to revert to the veteran Anthony. Francis Fernandes is another player who is capable of playing on the wings; however he is expected in a different role (see below).

Central Attacking Midfielder – George Alwyn, Francis Fernandes

The CAM position will probably be the most crucial during India’s forays in opposition territory. Two youngsters, one who is yet to make his debut (Alwyn) and another who had played a handful of games for India have been given the task of handling the position. TFA prodigy, Alwyn has showed that he is probably one of the rare players in the county to fulfill the requirements of a competent CAM in his very short stint with Pailan Arrows and India U-22. Francis, on the other hand, has been very successful in the two seasons with Salgaocar where he plays in a slightly different role. From the pre-match buildups, it seems that Alwyn might start ahead of Francis, but Francis’ experience might also be crucial factor. In dire situation, Sunil Chettri can be utilized in this position (as shown in his Mohun Bagan stint under Subrata Bhattacharya).

Strikers: Sunil Chettri, Manandeep Singh, Robin Singh

The lone striker’s position will definitely feature India’s captain and star player Sunil Chettri. His experience and international exposure (with Kansas City and presently Sporting club de Portugal ‘B’ team) will definitely come handy. However, much depends on the service he gets from the midfield. His recent form with Mohun Bagan has not been the best, and he would want to make an impression. His additional role will be to disrupt and distract the opposition center backs and make ‘holes’ for Alwyn and co. to exploit. Manandeep, with a great domestic season, would either come as a substitute or as a 2^nd striker when the situation demands. His physical presence would be handy especially against teams like Nepal and Maldives. Another TFA product, East Bengal’s Robin Singh is another striker with a good physique and he will have to wait for his debut unless Koevermans drastically needs to change his plans.

Overall Verdict: Lack of experience seems to be the biggest problem in Indian squad. Half of the players in the squad have played less than 5 international matches, and with only few experienced players in the squad onus will be on youngsters to deliver the goods. Wim Koevermans is reputed as a youth coach and is thus expected to bring out the best. How will he handle the rookies is something to watch in this Nehru Cup. The expectations won’t be high, the main aspect is how these promising youngsters handle pressure and reproduce their domestic form at a international level.

India’s opponents in Nehru Cup:

In terms of quality, Nehru Cup failed to attract big names in AIFF’s platinum year. Nehru Cup, from 1982 onwards, featured names like Uruguay, Argentina, Poland, Hungary, Soviet Union, Romania, China, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Morocco, Algeria, Yugoslavia, Iraq, and North Korea. These teams not only participated but also brought many of their star players in Indian soil. The philosophy behind Nehru Cup was that India needs to experience top class football, both for the players to gain experience and for the football lovers to watch them at their own backyard. Thus, it is no surprise that India not only failed to win the trophy but won only 3 of the 53 matches during the 1982-1997 era after which the tournament was stopped. In 2007, the tournament was resurrected, but with a different philosophy, now India needed to taste success, confidence building was Bob Houghton’s main agenda and thus Nehru Cup was started with carefully picking teams which are of our standard or slightly above our standards. The dreams were fulfilled and India won 2007 and 2009 Nehru Cup beating Syria in finals of both the editions.

25 -Aug : Maldives

In recent times, India vs Maldives matches have been closely contested with India emerging victorious most of the time. Maldives boast individual talents like the highly regarded Ali Ashfaq, however how the team as a whole performs will be crucial. The match will be close contested one, with India probably closely edging them due to more balanced squad and home support.

Predicted Result: India 2 – 1 Maldives

28-Aug : Nepal

A must win match for India. Although ranked lower than Nepal, India on paper is much more capable side than Nepal. Moreover, Nepal accepted Nehru Cup invitation at the last moment, they had less time to prepare and their coach, Krishna Thapa is new. These factors probably shift the balance further towards India’s side. Given that goal difference might play a role in deciding the finalists, India would also need to keep an eye on that department, and this match might be the best way to increase GD. Nepal’s striking woes in recent times will make matters more difficult for them.

Predicted Result: India 3 – 0 Nepal

31-Aug : Cameroon

Cameroon, with their reputation and ranking, start the tournament as favorites clear. However, this might be deceiving, as they are not sending most of their stars and Europe based players. Given India’s condition, these players will be more than handful, but with home support and motivation India might just pull off a surprise. A draw will be good for India.

Predicted Result: India 0 – 2 Cameroon

-RUDRA NAYAN DAS