AFC Asian Cup: India coach Stephen Constantine pulls no big surprises in final 23-man squad

The Indian men’s football team’s head coach Stephen Constantine on Thursday announced his final list of 23 players who will be part of the Indian squad to participate in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

Qualifying for only their fourth Asian Cup, India will be at the continent’s biggest tournament after a gap of eight years, since missing the last edition.

Initially, 34 footballers were called up for the national camp, before the group was reduced to 28. Five more players were cut from the squad after Constantine’s men reached the Gulf. India’s final squad of 23 comprised four forwards, nine midfielders, seven defenders and three goalkeepers.

After a disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign, Constantine was always likely to bring in some stability and fresh blood into the side. India went on a 13-match unbeaten streak on their way to the Asian Cup, which would have helped the head coach in making his decision.

The 55-year-old, like most coaches would have, displayed loyalty by opting for the men who took him to the UAE. With the buck firmly stopping at the manager’s feet, he would have wanted to pick a system and the players that go along with it.

Attack: The weak link

The way Constantine sets his team up, India should really not worry about their attack as they are expected to have nine men behind the ball for most parts of their three games against the Kyrgyz Republic, China and Jordan.

That means the forward line will only come into play on the rare foray ahead or the odd counter-attack. Sunil Chhetri is possibly the only attacker assured of his place among the four that Constantine has named.

Jeje Lalpekhlua doesn’t have a single goal or assist in his 11 India games. He has gone 556 minutes without a meaningful contribution and has taken only seven shots. The Mizo sniper’s reflexes look like they’ve slowed down considerably. His earlier physicality, which would have enabled him to keep the ball for an onrushing Chhetri, also seems to have dipped.

Balwant Singh’s struggle for form at ATK continues, while the fact that Sumeet Passi has scored more goals in national colours than he has for Jamshedpur inspires no confidence. A majority of those India goals came against SAFF Cup opposition, who will not be present at the Asian Cup.

If Constantine opts for a 4-2-3-1 formation, Lalpekhlua may be involved. A 4-3-3 would possibly see only Chhetri start up front. Balwant and Passi are likely to be super subs.

How will they set up?

Sarthak Golui is possibly the biggest surprise in the squad, which means Constantine doesn’t fully trust Pritam Kotal to do his job. That could possibly mean a back four of Golui/Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose with Narayan Das.

Gurpreet Sandhu’s howler against Jordan is still fresh in memory, but Constantine is unlikely to ditch his number one.

The only midfielder who is guaranteed a spot in the team is Anirudh Thapa, who has played everywhere – from box-to-box to a false-nine position – under Constantine. Pronay Halder is likely to be his ‘plus one’ in midfield, sitting deep, while Thapa provides the link between him and the attack.

Halicharan Narzary, who Constantine prefers for his tracking back, will start on the left, with Udanta on the right. If the Englishman opts for an extra body in midfield, Germanpreet Singh could take his place, otherwise a 4-2-3-1 could see Sunil Chhetri start behind Lalpekhlua.

With Chhetri as the guaranteed starter, Jeje is likely to get a look-in if and only if India play three behind the main striker. In case of a lone man flanked by the two wingers, skipper Chhetri is likely to be isolated up front.