India football legend Baichung Bhutia expressed his disappointment at the tactics and the lack of a gameplan in the men’s national football team. With Sunil Chhetri returning to international football within a year of announcing his retirement, Bhutia warned that relying on Chhetri to continue being India’s match-winner would harm the national team.
Bhutia spoke to Indian Express after India’s timid 0-0 draw against Bangladesh in Shillong, in a match which India were heavy favourites.
“For the whole game, we lacked a lot of options in terms of attack. We were only relying on a very predictable kind of attack, where you go past the wing and dribble, pass, cross, and expect Sunil to just head the ball and score,” explained Bhutia.
A scorer of 95 international goals for India, Chhetri has long been India’s talisman. However, at 40 years old, India won’t be able to rely on Chhetri for too long. More significantly, Bhutia pointed out his concern regarding the inability of Manolo Marquez’s team to create chances and break down opposition defences.
“But those days, again, defending also not like today, right? Those days, your defenders were also not trained to defend in a line, in a shape. You also could score,” explained Bhutia, speaking of the difference in modern football compared to Chhetri’s prime even just a decade ago.
‘He might have a head haemorrhage…’
“Now, today’s football has become more of a complete system. It’s very important to really be very, very smart in terms of passes, runs, positioning. Because your defenders are all now trained to mark zonal or man, or position or shape,” explained the former Indian attacker.
Bhutia bemoaned the one-dimensional style of play operated by the Indian team, and also pointed out how they played poorly within that tactical framework.
“Not a single cross (by an Indian) from the wings landed between the goalkeeper and the defenders, and you’re only depending on Sunil’s headers.” Laughing, Bhutia also added: “By the time he gets to his second retirement, he might have a head haemorrhage! For the club, for the country, everybody is only trying to cross (the ball) to his head.”
Chhetri marked his return to the Indian team with a goal against Maldives in India’s 3-0 win last week, scoring the third from a Liston Colaco cross. Chhetri had announced his international retirement in May 2024, but was asked by coach Marquez to help the team during the ongoing AFC Asian Cup qualification round.
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