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Following two consecutive disappointing performances in the Hung Thinh Friendly Tournament against Vietnam and Singapore, India have come under severe criticism. From players to head coach Igor Stimac, everyone is in the spotlight, and not for the right reasons.
Against Singapore, the Blue Tigers played out a frustrating 1-1 draw where they lacked penetration in the opposition half. Although Stimac's team were unlucky to concede the goal, they did very little to win the game.
Meanwhile, in their next game against hosts Vietnam, India looked thoroughly out of ideas and were outplayed from the get-go.
On that note, let's take a look at the three major flops from the international friendlies against Vietnam and Singapore:
#3 Sandesh Jhingan
The veteran defender was rested for the first encounter against Singapore but started the next game versus Vietnam.
While Gurpreet Singh Sandhu messed up a regulation save for the first goal, many opined that if Sandesh hadn't prodded the keeper, the goalscoring opportunity wouldn't have been created in the first place.
Sandesh was at fault for the third goal as well as his attempted headed clearance fell to a Vietnamese player, who buried the ball into the back of the net. Definitely a game to forget for the 29-year-old.
#2 Liston Colaco
The ATK Mohun Bagan winger was handed a start in the first friendly against Singapore. However, what followed was an overall frustrating performance from Liston Colaco.
Although the 23-year-old was being fed ample through balls by his teammates, he failed to run into the pockets of space and create anything substantial. He kept gifting away possession and India became vulnerable to counterattacks.
Even against Vietnam, Liston made an appearance off the bench but signed off without making any significant impact.
#1 Igor Stimac
A lot has been written and said about the national team head coach throughout his tenure. Stimac has often bore the brunt of AIFF's faults and incapabilities in the past.
However, the criticisms do come with some valid roots. Under the Croatian, India seem to have stagnated in terms of their footballing abilities on the pitch.
While the performances in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers were definitely a highlight of Stimac's elaborate career in the country, he has failed to extract consistent performances from the players.
He has won only nine out of 29 matches in charge. Even against Vietnam, Stimac opted for a regressive approach from the first minute and failed to even threaten the opponents with some potent attacks.
