 Thanks for joining us on another episode of 420grams where you have three guys who come to a studio and sometimes wear shades. But more often than not we talk about football, Indian football. And if you like me were crying after that 90 minute game versus Oman. We thought India started their world cup qualifier in the perfect fashion thinking that our name will be Tinank. But our last name was Shunya Ankh. So we will talk about that game here in Bistar. With me is Sadantaini Vaibhav Raghunandan who just came from Gangnam. Where have you come from sir? From South Korea. We are travelling a lot here for 420grams crew. You went to South Korea. Many people were asking where you went. Sir I was in Caribbean. I was working on cricket. You went to Ayashi. But I saw a football match in Seoul. Which match did you watch? FC Seoul was a June book. Yeah good game. And where were you from? Top table toppers clash. You look like Bistar. It's looking rumble. So India versus Oman. Opening thoughts guys. I have a feeling we were talking before the show started. That we are going to have contrasting opinions. So let's start with the positive. Before we start, timer is around. Oh timer is 15 minutes. As you can see after 5 minutes we have turned on the timer. One more minute. Contrasting opinions so let's start with the positive. India Oman. For me the biggest positive was the shape. At least 4-4-2. They were playing 4-4-2 throughout. More or less. I saw it more as a 1 in front. Who was the 1 in front? Sunim. And you were saying 5 in the middle. It was more like a 4-2. They were 4-4-2 going in front. Coming back, Ashik was of course doing the bulk of the work on the left. And coming back in the right shape. Shape movement of the ball was very good. And I thought the other great thing to see was how much restrained the Indian defenders showed when it came to putting in that final tackle. I think it was said again and again. Don't do the final tackle. Don't commit. Wait. Close off the pass. Close off the space. Keep the lines tight. And play like that. And for a long period, 2-3rds of the game, it worked. And it worked really well. I mean, I thought this is the best game India looked in terms of the confidence with which the ball was holding. Passing, I mean, Raul in Borges, who we had right off after that performance at the AFC Asian Cup earlier in the year that they will never play again for the national team. They have come back. I thought he was really... I mean, things did go wrong in between. But in that holding role, he did really well. He was distributing. He was making simple passes, not trying to do anything complicated. Contrasting opinion number one coming out. Sir, Raul in is playing as your defensive mainstay in the middle. He is your main defensive guy in front of your two stopper backs. So if Raul in has a job 1, 2, 3, job number 1 for him is to A maintain shape and put in a defensive performance first. How many times did we see Raul in Borges win the ball? And whenever he went in for it... And I really like this player, bro. I used to really like Raul in Borges. I don't know why. For me, I feel he's dropped off the radar quite a bit. You were mentioning it as well. He couldn't put in a tackle here. Whenever he was going to tackle, he was falling off the ground. He was being thrown off the ground. Whatever was happening. No, I thought positioning wise. Tackling is something that maybe they can work on next. I don't know. You can't do both, I think. It's very difficult because the minute you... Like I was saying, they were staying away from making the tackle because they didn't want to get beaten and have that extra man then coming on and chudging on. Just leaving that space. So, yeah, the tackling... I mean, we know that it's a shortfall. But because we were putting in tackle even then and we were putting in very late tackles that we saw. It was very late tackles. Yes. I liked that when our stopper centre-backs were playing they stayed on their feet by and large. You see a couple of moments of little panic setting in. But they were composed, they stayed on their feet. They concentrated on trying to read the game. And counter Oman from an attacking point of view in that manner. Which I thought was just a step forward. However, I mean, the fact is it needs to work for all 90 minutes. It can't just go off-beach me. Ki aapne aasi minute. Bhodh bharia hile. Both... I mean, jab aapne goal karna tha jo set-piece wala goal hua, boh bhi bharia hua. Goal bhi kya. And first half me to kheil bhi rahe. Possession bhi almost 19-20 ka fark tha first half me. Second half, I don't know team talk kya tha. Firm mentality. We've seen Sunil Chitri ne aake bohla hai ki humari mentality boh wali ho bhi thi ki hume yeh ek goal ki need hold karne. Yeah, I thought that was the most important comment of all the comments that have come after the game. And you could see how much he tried. How disappointed he was after the game. It was written all over his face. Because, I mean, jyase hume lagra tha ki yeh 3 nang ka ane wali hain. So, chyaar usko kya lagra ho? Oto, matlab, it's within... When, sabh lo kain hain, oman adho overwhelming favourites, you think you'll be run through. Or not, if not run through, but like, it won't be so much of a contest. It'll almost 10 minutes to the end. You're holding this lead and you're holding it without looking like you're under too much pressure. Cool. So that, of course, the Dhan's positive for you, I think the major positives for anyone watching this game has been what we do going in front. Yeah. That's pretty much. And the injection, if I may say, of Ashik Kurunyan. Oh, man, yeah. I mean, I don't think Steemaj has ever seen him play before this. He called him... Yeah, in competition time. Yeah, in competition. And he's called him up and given him a start, like, straight up. This is the first time that Ashik was available without injury in the squad, got picked into the final squad and thrown in straight. And you can see he made a huge difference. Any time like a ball was played up, it was like play ahead, the horse will run away. The horse will run away. And the horse had confidence. Oh, man. Playing with his mind. I mean, like that one nutmeg... That little nutmeg was so... You could tell that defender on the right for one was getting hassled. He was shaking his head first 15-20 minutes, he was out of the game. There's players that have speed. Like, we know Udanta, for example, they call him the flash. He has speed. Yeah, whatever. I mean, it's fine. Let's take it from the name. But what Ashik has besides speed is also like a slight, like, physical... Like, you know, he can shield the ball, he can hold the ball off. I think around the 17th, around that time, he started like taking the ball into the corner and like holding it, holding the ball off, trying to win tackles, coming back. Like doing that sort of stuff. So I really think I mean, I was very happy to see him back. He was a real revelation at the Asian Cup and he's just picked that up and come back in a slotted straight. Yeah, just gives you something beautiful going forward, man. It's like, you know and it... His style of play suits India's style of play. Yeah, it does. Totally. Completely. That, you know, if you're stuck and you know that your 9-9 will come 10-10 will come back. You have to buy a plot in your half and then when you want to break out and find an avenue and you want one guy to go and get that ball and even if there are two guys on him, he'll find a way to keep the ball. Also, if you've seen, when he plays with the ball his feet are a little inward. So, automatically, the shielding automatically comes there. Inwards whose feet are a little bit. So, that is a big, big positive. In fact, a lot of us have been saying for a while now that Udanta Singh is the next big thing in Indian football. I am sorry, bro. If you have to call someone the next big thing in Indian football, it is this boy, Ashik Kurunian. Udanta came. First 15 minutes, there was a little pace. You put the ball in there. After that, how many times did you see when he got the ball on the right and he had, of course, he had a defender on him. How many times did he try taking the defender on? Not once. He would always stop the ball, try playing a ball on the side and then running again. The thing that Udanta brings to the team and he is constantly starting is he has some sort of chemistry with Chhetri. I don't know if this is the chemistry that runs on the other flank. Chhetri has this. I don't see it too much with Ashik. Because that opportunity that Sunil created for Udanta. First half. The one that went in the back. He hit the crossbar. That sort of thing happens very often where they are playing off each other maybe because they play at the club level and they know each other now. They do this training through the season. But you don't see that. That's one thing that I would really wish these guys could figure out on the other flank also. Because there were so many times when Ashik got into a good position. For example, he got that nutmeg in. Immediately after the nutmeg, he put in a cross. But there was no one there. There was no one there to get it. This is the problem. In the beginning, there was an instance where the ball was played out to that wide area. But he was well covered. Ashik. So the expectation is that he will not put the ball in. But this guy doesn't give up on it. So he did end up putting a ball in. And again, the striker, Sunil at that point was 5 yards too far behind to even make a challenge. But okay. In this first half, we had some good chances. There were Sandesh's off the header. Since we've been following Indian football for a while. If you just come and watch the game, you say, oh wow, Sandesh created a chance. He came up, stood tall, got the header. But the ball went off target. And I have seen this trend with him that when in opposing half, whenever Sandesh jingles and he makes space, he goes up before his defender, gets the ball. But none of his headers are on target. A lot of his headers are off target, man. I've been seeing this trend for a while now. And I also want to just say that we're like saying, oh, we played really well in the first half. We created a lot of chances. I just want to say that a good pre-pulled off some blinders saves. In the first half and in the second half. I mean, I don't know, he had a great game aside from maybe like that second goal, the first equalizer that they got. And it's easier perhaps for me to say this. But it's defensive positioning also, right? Yeah, but the defender is the ball is coming in from there. The defender is wrong-sided. So he has one of two options, either to try and catch up and get in front or to make a tackle from behind and give away a penalty. No, but good play should have come out earlier. I think he was like a half a step slower. You can't really fault the guy. I'm saying all of these things that happen, it's the sum of what's been happening before that. All of these things that happen, and that's my point. You have given them space, right? You are not tackling them in midfield. You are just coming back. So you have put eight or nine boys in front of your goal. But if you don't put your feet in front of them, if you don't tackle them, they are international players. If you don't tackle them, they will hit you and that's what happened. And in both the goals, the second goal that happened before half-time, no one closed him down. One guy made a run, ball put in, guy made the run, scored the goal. That's quality finishing. Quality, quality finishing there. So that for me is the biggest problem for India. I know there are a lot of positives of course and going forward and the style of play, that short burst and quick passing and moving. We are not a possession-based team. But in defence, which we will be doing a lot and I am looking ahead to Qatar also, if you have maintained that shape in those nine boys, the four midfielders, and I am not even talking about our defenders, because actual defence starts from the midfield. And in those four midfielders, tell me one guy who is a good tackleer, who can snatch that ball for you. There is not one player there who can snatch the ball for you. Pranay Haldar, there is very little gap between them. We don't have anyone who is snatching the ball in the midfield. And if you don't snatch the ball in the midfield, they will run you all over the park. They will open you up. I mean especially if you decide to play so deep. Yeah. So one point based on what you are saying, one is Gurpreet coming off his line. Goes back to something that now Gurpreet and Sandesh both, both these guys actually, how much practice are you getting off set pieces in match situations where you are getting those headers. Because Sandesh gets into those positions very regularly. Because that is your target when you are putting corners. In the training session, you are only practicing that Sandesh will make a place and then head it. But how much practice is there when you are practicing? Is the same scene on the club level or not? If it is, it goes back to the point that these boys are made. About how many club games they have been getting. This is actually the... So like we were talking about Gurpreet, theoretically I think it is professional from 2010. That means 9 years of professional football. One or two seasons between East Bengal and Arrows. He got a lot less game time in the I-League. After that he went back to the national team camp for Asian Cup. So there also practice games yes, but no competitive football and of course at the Asian Cup itself he didn't play. After that you go to Norway where again, yes you are getting great training, you are getting top quality, you are getting good structure. But how many games are you playing? It was one of the reasons he decided to come back. Because at least here he knows that he will play regularly. But here the season has become smaller. Earlier you were playing I-League and along with that you were also playing local league. Now the ISL players play only ISL. So as a result you are getting 16, 18, 20 games from where? Tackling is a thing that comes with also sharpness. How you can anticipate what the guy is going to do in front of you so that your foot goes up before he's made the move. Otherwise the ball is gone or every fault, everything that we point towards being something that is a fault in this match, like they got fatigued. They weren't tackling hard enough. Their positioning was getting lost out. They were getting nervous right at the end. All of these can just be pointed towards that they don't get enough game time. Just all of these. It's not that in a situation where you are not in a situation where you are in a 1-0 lead and the players of Bangalore are playing. That's the obvious sir. I am still stuck on that 4-man midfield. I am not saying your 4 defenders at the back had a bad game. They were pretty solid. But if your 4 in front are not being able to block the guys they will always be sucked out Now who are your 4 in the midfield? There was Thapa, there was Raulin, there was Udanta and then for some periods, Changte had come. Of these 4, Brandon was there as well. Of these 4, name one player who is known for his defensive capabilities in the ISL. Forget international football. Forget international football in ISL, in club football where these guys are king. These boys are kings. They are the top players of our country. Who of these 4 actually go out there and exude confidence as far as defensive capabilities is concerned? I thought he did quite a lot defensively even though he was the link between our midfield and attack as it were. So I thought he was tracking back pretty well. The replacement for Brandon, Changte came in I believe. That I didn't quite understand when you have Sahel on the bench, I don't know what the thinking was. I was to catch them on the counter with Changte. Catch him on the counter These are the 2 subs I was a little bit taken aback. Not taken aback, but him Changte coming in and then Mahanveer coming in for Ashik. Ashik's legs. Ashik has a different case. He is coming back with a serious injury. So you need to protect him and in the next game if his knee goes back then you know you don't need to tell these guys So no that's fair that you have to make that change and you have Changte on the pitch anyway so you can move Changte to the left Mahanveer on the right and Chetri is playing 90 minutes so he will play remove him He is playing at this level He is shifting I think he will next level If this continues some cases you hope that you are wrong So what we said you guys are wrong pull out that trip So those 2 are different things So the kind of the way Sahil is playing unless there was some physical issue If there was an issue then why bring him on Papa and Sahil together in the midfield Actually Thapa plays behind He always plays behind Who will save your defence Thapa will save your defence No, Rawlin and Thapa are there So with Rawlin and Thapa you will give Sahil a free midfield You were giving Brandon Instead of Brandon you give Sahil So you will play left winger on the left and then you will play on the right and then Chetri Which then Udanta for Manveer or you need to change someone for Changte on the left you can do that See I think this was also the first game Sorry The 2 left wingers play very different games from each other with the national team right now Changte and Aashik One is I think a pure out and out like wing player of old school where he will take it in he has got the skills, strength and everything and he will put a ball in the middle and decent ball in the middle Right Brandon also put in some pretty decent balls So they were connecting man on the left You were saying how many times Udanta got the ball on the right is because the connections were happening on the left This is a natural tendency Whenever Udanta Singh got the ball and I am not saying he is a bad player or anything I am just saying objectively whenever he would get a ball and say you are a defender and you are in front of me and if you are the top talent of this country and you are the future of this country the least you can do is try taking on that player You have not even shown me once when you want to take on the player You have only taken on when you have just got space You are playing international football You have to operate in so much space Show some skill will See who is behind or on the side and then run Will this work Then it is very easy for me to read what this winger is doing So the only time Udanta Singh really comes into play is when you have sucked in the opposition and you have broken them on the counter So they are out of shape Then he can really cause problems going through with the space But how many times is that going to happen in a 90 minute game You tell me in Doha how many times will that happen And despite all this he still managed to create the crossbar That was at the start And they were out of shape at that time We caught them on the counter Because in the beginning they didn't think they would play like this 15-20 minutes ago these guys were really playing Good tempo Pressing slightly higher Quite a bit higher This is the first game We are looking at Oman in the whole team Of course they didn't need to press that much because they had most of the possession in the second half But see where they are playing How far ahead up the pitch they are And see where our boys are You cannot afford to not be able to press I think for 90 minutes So the only time I saw the press happening was when we scored the goal 5-7 minutes later Because that is what football is It gets you on We were pressing on them We were getting on them, that tempo was there with us 5-7 minutes later and probably that is the plan There was like large periods when I saw the press I think we were doing the live blog also and we were constantly praising the fact that there was this press happening there was this movement happening In periods again Press can never be constant also And then in the last 10-15 minutes I think I said I said I'm smelling a goal a few minutes before the goal happened I mean because you could see that they were dropping off I don't know The other thing is that mistakes are also like this If you don't do the challenge like they are saying If you don't press they won't be able to press So they will get 5-6 chances They will put one or two numbers thing at the end of it The point of not playing enough games is a very valid point You come into this game without a pre-season And you can do any training camps any training sessions match fitness, match fitness So agreed Everyone is talking about it So much so now that the players are also talking about it You had never seen the players come out publicly and talk about it So now that Sandesh and Gurpreet have come and said that after Sunil So he can speak But now that these guys are also speaking It's pretty obvious that everyone feels the same way And the coach also feels the same way But I'm saying if you keep that aside because that is not a problem that is going anywhere Sir, this is not a fixed problem No So we are not making a team here We will do something after 5 years We are thinking how can we do the best to what we have And the obvious problem is that of your midfield It does not exude confidence defensively Going forward very good playing short passes But then defensively for what you will be doing for large parts of the game doesn't exude much confidence at all Fair enough Can't really disagree, last thing I'll say on that note is just that yes there are problems but still far better Hopefully and we'll be back soon enough I think too Shout out to Gohati man 25,000 people landing up and a shout out to AIFF man for getting the scheduling right We have also been a shout out to the T4 they raised before the game to India's first football cap That was lovely No that was a smart move man that finally now you are getting games in footballing centres For footballing centres you have to play a national team at least senior team I can understand but senior team has to happen in footballing centres and the ground is looking so good looking like a good spectacle on television So we have Anything else guys, you guys want to add? Nothing, so also we'll be doing a preview to the Kathar game Now the Kathar game is on Tuesday 10pm so we will likely do a preview on Monday looking ahead to that game There is a certain Al Moaz Ali that we need to keep track of highest goal scorer in the Asian Cup On Monday I hope you enjoyed this episode of 420g Thank you so much for watching Goodbye