AFC Asian Cup 2019: India 0-1 Bahrain - 5 Talking Points as the Stephen Constantine era ends in tears

#4 India's valiant players let down by their manager

The moment where it all unravelled talk coming into the game was about India being fitter - 20% better aerobically, than during the Intercontinental Cup in June, they said.

India's players showed that on the pitch. To a man, every single one of them ran himself to the ground. They threw themselves at Bahraini feet, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu extended himself as far as his massive frame would take him. They almost succeeded in lasting the length of a whole football match without letting the ball into their own net.

But that was never a wise ploy to begin with. India just had no out-ball, and that meant that apart from having to defend superbly, they would have to have no lapses in concentration, which was always going to be difficult in the face of a barrage of Bahraini attacks.

India's out-ball was the long-kick from Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to the striker. Sunil Chhetri is 5'7", Jeje Lalpekhlua isn't much taller, Ashique Kuruniyan isn't even a striker. So, to expect them to excel at holding up the ball against two six-footers at the heart of the Bahraini defence was just foolhardy.

As they say in football, you can be as fit as you can, you can have as much desire and work-rate as you can, in the end, it will always be the additional bit of quality that triumphs.