We have been miserable away from home, says Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri has stated that India would need to train together for long to overturn their miserable away record in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The Indian skipper has also shed light on how Igor Stimacâs playing style hasnât been very different from what the ISL players follow.
Coming September, India would have to play two tricky fixtures against Oman in their backyard before travelling to Qatar. With the other two sides being Afghanistan and Bangladesh, these would easily be the Blue Tigersâ toughest fixtures and Chhetri has stressed that spending almost a month in the national camp would help massively.
âWe have got the two toughest games at the start and I hope we use it to our advantage. Qatar away (September 10) is one of the most difficult games in this campaign. So, I hope we do well against Oman at home (in Guwahati on September 5), that nobody gets injured and we can carry the momentum of that game into Qatar,â says Chhetri, reported HT.
âThe fact that we will spend 20-21 days together (from when the camp starts to the game against Qatar) will help. We have been miserable away, so that time together will probably be a good thing,â he added.
The skipper also shed light on how India would adapt to opponentsâ gameplay. âYou will see us trying to keep the ball a lot more against Oman, Afghanistan and Bangladesh but you may not see us doing that against Qatar,â he revealed.
Comparing Indiaâs previous side with the current one, Chhetri explained how the side has improved after a tough phase of transition and Stimac has identified some very significant players who could take the side forward.
âWe are a better team now. Then, we were a team in transition. Gurpreet was a young player then. Those young boys are men now who can keep their place in the team. For instance, Udanta (Singh) is a very important part of the team now. And we have a great leader in (Igor) Stimac,â he said.
Stimac as a coach has always encouraged players asking for the ball and passing forward and Chhetri has been of the opinion that the similar nature of football in the ISL has been helping the players to gel in fast.
âThe Spanish coach at East Bengal wants to play from behind; Chennai City too,â Chhetri says. âFor me, Udanta, Gurpreet (all from Bengaluru FC), it is nothing different. For Mandar (FC Goa) it isnât different. Vinit (Rai) has told me that even Delhi Dynamos did it last year. We all do a lot of keeping the ball and five-against-two rondos (a drill where five players try to pass the ball and two try to intercept) at training,â he added
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