What a difference a week makes!
On the Saturday of January 28th, Chennai City FC, debutants in the I-League, registered their first ever win in the league by beating Aizawl FC (who were previously unbeaten) 2-0 at home. It was a historic moment for the club and it had taken the club five games to do so. They hadn't been woeful by any standard, but at the same time did look off the pace compared to the other teams who have been swimming in this league for a long time.
"The hard work by the president and the players has paid off. I was sitting on the bench after the game and enjoying the moment," words of Robin Charles Raja, coach of Chennai City following that game.
While definitely a shot in the arm for the side, there was very little time for the team to enjoy the win. The next day they were on their travels, shuttling to play their next game in Shillong in three days time. It was the first of two away games in six days the team would play in the east of India, following the trip to Meghalaya, they would travel to Kolkata to play big boys East Bengal.
The buoyancy provided by the maiden victory seemed to ebb away almost as soon as the whistle blew in the game against Shillong Lajong. Lajong have been very strong at home this season and continued their impressive form, registering a thorough 2-0 win in a game where they really weren't troubled. The performance from Chennai City was flat.
Also Read: I-league 2017: Bengaluru FC - the midfield conundrum
Playing in Shillong presents its own challenges. For starters, the altitude; for teams that are used to playing in cities in the plains, it can be difficult to sometimes acclimatise quickly. It’s a challenge that works in reverse too when highland teams come down to play closer to sea level. To further compound things, Chennai City's coach opted to field much of the same side that started the game three days ago.
The East Bengal game was never going to be easy. However, like they had done earlier in the season against Bengaluru FC, the team managed to grit it out, putting out a great effort to keep the game goalless. Once the deadlock was broken within the first 10 minutes of the second half, though, things began to slide downhill and in the end, the team ended up getting beat 0-3.
Two games. Five goals conceded. None scored. Zero points picked up. A disastrous trip to endure after your first win.
Four games. Nine goals conceded. None scored. Zero points picked up. That's the team's overall away record this season.
Not only did the results not go their way, but team staff were also peeved at the treatment they received at the hands of East Bengal. The club were not allowed their mandatory practice one day prior to the match at Barasat with East Bengal citing that a match was scheduled on the day.
Instead they were forced to train two days prior at Mohammedan Sporting's ground, which currently lies in a dilapidated condition with brown patches more prominent than grass on the field. Vikram Murali, general secretary of the club confirmed the incident and mentioned that the club have lodged a protest with the All India Football Federation on the matter.
Minerva Punjab, the other new team in the fray, picked up their first win over the weekend to heap more misery on Chennai City as the win took them off the bottom of the table (only one point separates the sides, though) while pushing Chennai City down.
The team no doubt returned home in a despondent mood with all thoughts now on the three-game home stretch coming up. Just as we set about wondering what course coach Robin would chart for the rest of the season, we were to soon discover that he wouldn't have any role at all in what happens next with the club announcing that he had been relieved of his duties on Wednesday morning with an announcement on a new head coach to be made soon.
Speaking to Vikram Murali in the aftermath of the decision, the club's general secretary expressed the management's disappointment with the team's results as well as a clash of philosophies as the reason for the team parting ways with Robin.
"The whole idea of Chennai City FC playing in the I-League was to provide a platform on the national stage for local (Tamil Nadu) players to showcase their talent and gain exposure. This was something we were keen on, but coach Robin often chose to play the more experienced players. This difference of opinion as well as the results was what we considered in making the decision," Murali said.
He went on to say that the squad was assembled at the beginning of the season as per coach Robin's demands with a good number of veteran Indian players in the mix. However, Murali expressed that this was done in the hope that they would bring through the players from the state and help these new faces establish themselves in the team by lending their experience.
"We signed the senior players so that they could come together and gel with the local players in the team, in turn providing a platform for them to shine," Murali went on to add.
When asked about the timing of the decision, Murali mentioned that winning as many of the remaining home games as possible was something that was top priority for the club and hence the decision was made with a crucial home stretch coming up. He also made it clear that the club was looking for ‘ a Tamil Nadu coach who understands the local players’ and that efforts were on to get that person onboard at the earliest.
Also Read: I-League 2017: East Bengal's quality pushes them over the line against Chennai City
The outgoing coach also seemed to echo a similar sentiment. After Robin was informed on Tuesday night about the decision on the coaching change, Sportstar reported Robin as saying, "The management called me to inform their decision. They said the sponsors were unhappy with the results."
"I'm happy with what I've done, especially in our home matches. In the limited time, I don't think anybody could have done a better job," Robin went on to add. Sportstar also reported the coach talking up the difference of opinion between himself and management in playing local talent as well saying, "We were trying to fit in too man local players in the team. But they will take time to settle and reach the levels required in the I-League."
Was it the right decision?
As far as a look at the results go, yes, one can perhaps justify the decision to make a coaching change now, considering that there is more than 50% of the season left. Despite holding teams defensively, when it came to scoring goals and attacking play the team was definitely below par. The results part of the debate provided valid cause for concern.
However, the case for the inclusion of local players is a tough one as both approaches aren't without their merits. As much as one wants local players to be featured, ultimately clubs are in the results business, and a coach might want to play the experienced players more to get the team the points and secure their position before giving the relatively green newbies more of a look-in.
Yes, they may not grow immediately right away in the first season, but come the second season, they should be up to pace with those with significantly more experience than them on the national stage.
On the flipside, if there is such a heavy focus on promoting local talent sometimes the best way to get them up and running is to throw them into the deep end and get them to learn on the go with some tough love. Teams from the north-east in the last decade or so have adopted this philosophy and with the endless supply of talented footballers in that part of India, it is a model that has borne fruit eventually. And it will work, there's no doubt about that, but will the management exhibit patience if that process takes too long?
What’s next for the club?
On Thursday morning, Chennai City announced that V. Soundararajan has been appointed the new head coach of the club and that he would oversee coaching duties till the end of the season. Holding an AFC Pro License, Soundararajan's work with with the state’s side in the Santosh Trophy and Southern Railways has been mentioned as the reasons behind his appointment. The club is hoping that he can get more out of the players from Tamil Nadu in the side such as Raegan Albarnas, Edwin Sydney and Michael Soosairaj.
He will have to get cracking quickly. This is a crucial period for the club as their next three games are all at home, providing them an opportunity to resuscitate their season. Not only is it just a question of home games, but also the opponents they are due to face - Mumbai FC, Churchill Brothers and Shillong Lajong. These are teams that the club would consider beatable and the club would feel these are winnable matches.
Saturday is when the club plays their next game, against Mumbai who are seventh in the table just two points above Chennai City. That's the first opportunity for us to see what the new approach at this new club is going to be like now that it has hit the reset button.
