"I was taught not to clear the ball for the sake of clearing it" - Indian Football Team defender Chinglensana Singh
Usually, when an Indian Football Team defender gets the ball, he whacks it down the line aimlessly hoping for one of the players upfront to receive it. This style of play has been ingrained in the Blue Tigers since Bob Houghton took charge of the team in 2006.
India have found reasonable success through this route of football. The Blue Tigers qualified for two Asia Cups (2011 and 2019) and breached the top 100 mark in FIFA Rankings after a long time under Stephen Constantine. However, to progress further, they need to play an attractive brand of football.
The loopholes were laid bare in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup group stage match against Bahrain. Once the defenders cleared the ball, it boomeranged back into the penalty box.
Ultimately, India succumbed to the pressure by conceding a goal in the extra time of second half to crash out of the competition.
Current India coach Igor Stimac is trying his best to make the team play out from the back. A ball-playing central defender forms a pivotal part of the team and that is where Chinglensana Singh comes into the picture.
The Hyderabad FC defender averaged 41.17 passes per game in the 2020-21 season with an accuracy of 84.34%, according to ISL's official website. Chinglensana Singh's ability to play out from the back alongside his sturdy defending saw him find his way into the India squad.
Singh made his first start under Igor Stimac against Oman in a 1-1 draw at Dubai. It was followed by two appearances against Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Also Read: Like it or not, we have not yet reached the level of Oman and Qatar - Former Indian Football Team defender Gouramangi Singh
Sportskeeda recently got in touch with Chinglensana Singh for an exclusive interview.
Here are the excerpts:
Q: As a defender, you are known for playing out from the back as opposed to lodging long balls. How did you imbibe this style of play?
Chinglensana Singh: I have been fortunate enough to start playing football at a very early age. So, that made me very comfortable with the ball. I was a part of the Tata Football Academy and played there for four years. They took care of my basic skills like ball retention. I was taught not to clear the ball just for the sake of clearing it but giving it as a pass to my teammates and retaining the possession. This is very important in modern football now. I started very early, so I am comfortable overall.
Q: Which all coaches helped you to play out from the back?
Chinglensana Singh: There were foreign coaches from Sheffield United like Lee Walshaw during my time at Tata Football Academy. They took us to England as well to train with Sheffield United Academy. P Vijay Kumar, Indranil Chakraborty, Gumpe Rime, all these coaches were there at the academy during my time.
Q: You sat out for India's game against Qatar due to injury. Did you feel upset about it?
Chinglensana Singh: Of course, I wanted to play in that match so much. But, it was a wise thing to do because if I played in that match, I wouldn't have been available for the upcoming two games (against Bangladesh and Afghanistan). Every game for the country or a club that you don't play is a big miss. And, I don't want to miss any more games.
Q: What's your take on India's performance against Bangladesh and Afghanistan?
Chinglensana Singh: We were dominant against Bangladesh by enjoying a lot of ball possession. There were a lot of new players in the team, including myself. It takes time to gel together. But, I played a lot with some of the players. Against Afghanistan, we got some good chances to score. It was a learning lesson. Obviously, we could have done better.
Q: You played in an unofficial friendly match for India against Bhutan under Stephen Constantine. What's the difference between him and Stimac's coaching methodologies?
Chinglensana Singh: I would say Stephen Constantine sir relied on fast wingers and more on a counter-attacking style of play. It was more of a direct football. With Igor Stimac, it is more like keeping the ball and passing it around. These are the major differences I believe.
Q: You have played under two Spanish coaches, Sergio Lobera and Manolo Marquez, in the ISL. How was that experience?
Chinglensana Singh: Both the coaches like playing out from the back. Regaining the ball and retention of the ball possession are two important things they lay stress on. They also stress a lot on basic things like looking before you pass, knowing where your teammates and opponents are. I enjoyed training under these two amazing coaches.
Q: Hyderabad FC required a win in their last ISL match against FC Goa to qualify for the playoffs. You were suspended and had to watch the match from the stands. How tough was it for you?
Chinglensana Singh: It was very unfortunate. It was a big learning lesson for me. I had to sit out the match against FC Goa because I got a red card in the earlier game. But, in football, these things happen as you do everything for the team. Aridane (Santana) and I were in the stands screaming and shouting to support the team. We did everything we could do outside the pitch. It was unfortunate that we didn't qualify but we were happy as we had an overall good season.
Q: From the next season of ISL, there will be four foreign players on the pitch. Do you think this will give more incentives to teams to field an Indian defender?
Chinglensana Singh: Definitely. But, I don't think teams will limit themselves to Indian defenders. I hope there will be Indian strikers as well. It is important for us as a national team to have strikers who can score goals and proper No. 9s who can help us with goals every game. We need more players who can help us as a team. As a defender, you want healthy competition, which is good.
Q: What are the objectives of Hyderabad FC and the Indian team next season?
Chinglensana Singh: As a club, Hyderabad FC's goal is to make it to the playoffs. We are not thinking about anything else. But having said that, we don't want to get under pressure as well. We want to enjoy our football and training. We did that last season with Manolo Marquez. He is a great coach and knows how to handle players. As a nation, we should do well in the third round of the Asian Cup Qualifiers and make it to the final group stage eventually.