Indian National Team Comment: Youngsters Show Promise For The Future, But Plenty To Chew Over For Savio Medeira

So after the dust has settled following what was a great evening of football in Delhi, seasoned observers are left wondering what final conclusion can one make from the Indian perspective.

Irrespective of the scoreline, Bhaichung Bhutia’s farewell tie against Bayern Munich was an undisputable hit.

The crowds turned out in big numbers to show their respect for a player who has been an outstanding servant of the nation for several years, while Bayern Munich put on a great show for the public, atleast in the first half, leaving hardly anyone in the stands unhappy with their display.

Also Lalrindika Ralte, Jeje Lalpekhlua and Jewel Raja showed that the post-Bhaichung Bhutia future of the national team is not going to be all doom and gloom. The three showed exuberance and their lively performances bought the crowd to their feet in the second half.

Savio Medeira must look for more of such young and talented lads, who will add some energy into the team. Especially Ralte, who showed great technical ability and composure on the ball, is a player who should be given more playing time.

Fond Farewell For Bhaichung Bhutia....

And the man, to salute whom the Bavarians and the crowd at Delhi assembled, himself didn’t disappoint. A player who didn’t always get to play at the level he deserved, Bhaichung Bhutia showed the same qualities which have endeared him to the Indian public over almost the last two decades.

Even though not fully fit, he hassled and harried the Bayern players when they had possession and always tried to hold the ball up for his team, whenever possible. His own game improved vastly after the young brigade joined him in attack in the second half and he was substituted to a standing ovation with 5 minutes to go.

All in all it was a farewell which would have left Bhaichung with little regret, if any.

However Savio Medeira himself didn’t have the luxury of getting carried away with emotions on such a day. The Indian coach might take a lot of pleasure from their second half display and the performance of the youngsters thrown in, but there were certainly several problems that the Goan will have to ponder over before the 2012 Challenge Cup campaign.

The Defensive Unit Proved To Be Too Brittle To Deal With The Pressure...

His biggest headache will be his creaky backline. The Indian contingent would be kidding itself if they said that it was their improved performance that was totally responsible for shutting the Bayern Munich attackers out in the second half. Jupp Heynckes made a raft of substitutions and the team visibly took their foot off the pedal.

In the first half it was a different story as India’s defence bore the brunt of F.C Hollywood’s incessant attacks. Govin Singh and his comrades had no clue as the Bavarians walked past them whenever they pleased.

Some of the defending was so shambolic that they made the Indian faithful cringe in despair.

Medeira must find alternatives to the entire backline except Syed Rahim Nabi, as it was evident that Nirmal Chettri isn’t as comfortable at the right as he is in the centre of defence while Govin Singh was clueless as he hasn’t played club football in a while and looked well off the pace. As pointed out in an earlier editorial on Goal.com, there are players in the I-League who deserve to be given a chance to shore up the leaky backline.

Further ahead, the midfield is also in no better shape. Rocus Lamare and Rakesh Masih were disappointing in the centre, as they provided no protection to the backline nor did they show any composure in possession. Baldeep Singh and Climax Lawrence were definitely an improvement on the duo in the second half, though Lalkamal Bhowmick and Mehtab Hussain must surely feel even closer to a call-up with successive experiments in central midfield failing.

Schweinsteiger Encountered No Opposition In Central Midfield....

Clifford Miranda continues to be an enigma on the wing, and must definitely feel threatened by the emergence of Ralte while R. Vashum on the other side proved to be a decent find for the future, as he tried to make a fist of it against his clearly superior opponents.

Upfront alongside Bhutia, Sushil Kumar was disappointing. However with the other options behind Sunil Chhetri and Jeje Lalpekhlua not having much experience or proven track-record, he shall definitely get more chances. However if Manandeep Singh continues to improve at Air India then his place in the squad could be threatened.

All in all, Bhaichung Bhutia deserved all the accolades he received for being the torchbearer of Indian football, however the match’s outcome and performance must be used by Savio Medeira as a parameter to build a brand new and bright future for the Indian football team.