India's dismal run in the friendlies in UAE has brought us close to reality check. Is this the best team to represent India at the Asian Cup at Doha in January? Sample this. Apart from the SAFF Cup in 2008, India have played eight international matches away from home under Bob Houghton and lost all eight. India have conceded 32 goals and scored only five. The two major tournaments which India won — Nehru Cup and AFC Challenge Cup — have been on home soil. No wonder then, why the Englishman hinted at resigning if India fares poorly in Asian Cup. Yes, he is clever and calculative.
But I'm not baffled at Indian team's horrendous results. Houghton got whatever he wanted. Foreign tours, friendly matches, excellent facilities. But in the end, result is same like what other Indian coaches had given. The reason is Houghton has always been too stubborn in selecting the best team. I don't know why he can't see beyond a couple of players who are carrying niggling injuries and almost over the hill. But he says they are the best.
A pool of 30 'best' players signed a contract with AIFF and they have been training only for the Asian Cup since then. Doubts have been raised about the correct investment on some of the players. Are they really best enough to take on teams like Australia and Korea at Doha? Probably, we will get to know this after the Asian Cup in January.
I strongly feel that some of the players from the current U-23 side which played in Asian Games should have been drafted into the senior team. More so because of their age and exuberance. Some of the senior players (I don't wish to name them and offend their die-hard fans) are unfit. You may have seen some of them in Delhi in the last couple of years. I really don't know how they have still managed to hang around in the team and then get to tour fabulous destinations in Europe and the Middle-East.
Ideally some of the youngsters from Asian Games squad deserved a place in Asian Cup team. Look at Thailand. Bryan Robson brought some of his u-23 players to Delhi in September. The idea was to encourage them. Give them the right exposure. That's how you build a strong team. Look at Japan and Korea. You will appreciate their excellent youth development programme.
In fact, Japan, Korea and Iran's rise in world football happened because of their honest and a no-nonsense approach. They have a system in place unfortunately which we don't have. Indian football is a bit complicated one which can even flummox best coaches. Besides, you will find our foreign coaches, soon after they take over, will call for the exit of domestic tournaments, crib about lack of facilities and then talk rubbish about the country.
Houghton has been given a royal treatment by AIFF much more than his predecessors like Jiri Pesek, Rustom Akhramov and Joseph Gelei, who had also trained the Indian teams in the past. Shouldn't we ask him for an explanation now?
