Mumbai: Indian national team head coach Stephen Constantine hit back at critics of his team selection, stating that he needed a certain type of player in each position and that he would pick the team according to the system that he prefers.
“We don’t have the players to street the ball around. We are not Barcelona, we don’t have that level of players at the moment. The Indian Super League is coming up and every year it gets better. Next year, less foreigners, that is superb,” he said, on the sidelines of the national camp in Mumbai.
Constantine insisted that everyone had their opinion about team selection but being in the position that he was, he had the authority to decide. “I built teams in Rwanda, Malawi, Sudan and I am doing it here again for the second time.”
India play Chinese Taipei, Kenya and New Zealand in the Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai starting June 1. Constantine also responded to accusations that he doesn’t watch the national leagues and that he doesn’t pick players according to their domestic performances.
“I need a certain type of player to do a certain job with the national team,” he said. We aren’t facing another Indian team. We are facing a different level. If you score a couple of goals in the I-League or ISL, that’s great but how does that translate to what we need at the international level?
“[Regarding] some players that I don’t pick, it’s not that I have anything against them. It is that they do not do what we need them to do in this national team. At club level, maybe they do but it is a completely different system and philosophy here.’’
The 55-year-old further responded to his critics stating that the Indian national team had gone 13 games unbeaten and qualified for the Asian Cup. He also pointed out that India are the reigning South Asian Football Federation and Tri-Nation Cup champions. “We have about 15 players who are smashing the door down to get into the senior national team,” he said. “Who in the right mind can complain about the national team or the guy who is leading the team?
“If you have a complaint, it is because you don’t like me or you don’t like the way we play football. I don’t care. Apart from Germany, during the 14-game unbeaten period, there was no other team in the form that we were. So how can you, in the right state of mind, say that you don’t like the coach or he should leave? They must be mad,” he added.
Constantine believes the Intercontinental Cup will be a very important tournament for the team’s progression and development. He also mentioned that their three opponents would provide tough opposition.
“Contrary to popular belief we try to get friendly games with bigger teams and we learn more from playing against better teams,” he said.
The head coach, in his second stint in charge of the national team, also spoke about the mentality of the players with regards to maintaining their fitness levels. He criticised some members of the team, who had “six weeks off” for not working hard enough in the gym. The coach also indicated that India could be playing two teams from the Gulf region after the Intercontinental Cup, but added that nothing was confirmed yet.
“We have five-six letters sent to the teams [that] we want to come. So [in] October, we will try to have a home game. In November we will play outside the country and then obviously we have the camp, and then we will be out of country,” he said.
“Ideally we will be in the Gulf region for obvious reasons. We will try to play one or two Gulf region teams. Nothing is 100% confirmed,” the coach informed.
India will feature in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup to be held in the United Arab Emirates in January.