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"Can you mention to me one player with Indian passport playing as a striker and scoring goals apart from Sunil? Why do you expect us to score goals in international football when none of the Indian passport holders is playing as strikers and scoring goals domestically? The good thing is we are creating chances, we are not holding back and playing without fear."
Indian national team coach Igor Stimac blasted the reporters when queried about the country's poor display in front of goals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in November at the I-League launch ceremony.
It more or less summarizes the performance of Indian players in ISL. They are creating chances for their club, getting into good positions and bagging assists. But, when it comes to the final product, they are lagging far behind their foreign counterparts.
The Indian players have accorded for only 26.5% of the goals in the ongoing ISL 2019-20 season but have contributed to 42.68% of the assists. Moreover, before the ninth round of matches began, the Indian players accounted for only two assists lesser than their foreign counterparts.
Odisha FC's performance epitomizes the problems faced by Indian forwards. Their right-winger Jerry Mawihmingthanga likes to hang by the byline and lodge crosses. Nandhakumar Sekar, his opposite number on the left flank, cuts in if no one closes him down and takes a shot.
While Jerry has 4 assists and even a goal to his name, Nandha is yet to open his account on either of the departments. And, apart from the goal by Jerry, none of the Odisha FC Indian players have found their name on the scoresheet.
A lot also depends on the formation of the team and where the Indian players are positioned. Of course, it varies with the opposition and players available at their disposal but the overall trend shows most clubs prefer to keep Indian players from where they can create more chances rather than take shots and score goals. And, those who get in good goalscoring positions, fail to capitalize.
Forwards of top clubs not able to convert their chances
The table-toppers FC Goa use Jackichand Singh in the wings and he averages a cross for every 20 minute he plays but takes a shot only every 39 minutes. He has already bagged 2 assists.
Seiminlen Doungel, on the other hand, likes to have a go at goal but only one of his effort has been successfully converted out of 12 attempts. Manvir Singh plays as a central striker but has started the game only four times. His two goals, however, have come when he got off the bench.
But, the key differential for FC Goa remains Brandon Fernandes. The Indian international has a free role in the attacking third of the pitch behind the striker and has created a mammoth 25 chances in the competition so far. He has also fielded the same number of crosses, mainly through the corner-kicks, and accounts for 5 assists.
Bengaluru FC is the only club that drives their bus in the opposite lane by leading the line with an Indian player. Sunil Chhetri has taken 23 shots at goal and has 5 goals to his name. He doesn't drop down much as visible by the 10 chances he has created for his teammates.
Carles Cuadrat brings in Thongkhosiem Haokip when he senses an extra striker can benefit the team. He has scored one goal and taken 3 shots in the 124 minutes he has been on the field.
Udanta Singh, who plays in the right-wing, has taken 19 shots but has found the back of the net only once, missing a lot of gilt-edged opportunities. He did whip 23 crosses but none of them has resulted in an assist.
His counterpart on the other flank, Ashique Kuruniyan, who has been experimented in the full-back role, has taken only 10 shots but floated twice as many crosses. However, he has no goal or assists to his showing.
Having previously managed in the ISL, Antonio Lopez Habas perhaps understands the limitation of Indian players. Hence, Jobby Justin has seen only 138 minutes at the clock, that too in the right-wing position. But, the former East Bengal forward has scored a goal and bagged an assist.
Using Prabir Das and Michael Soosairaj as wing-backs, ATK uses their flanks efficiently. The former has lobbed 16 crosses and garnered 3 assists. The latter, on the other hand, is not shy to cut in. Hence, he has had 10 shots and 10 crosses and even scored a goal.
Jamshedpur FC's Farukh Choudhary is having a breakthrough season relishing on either side of the wings and occasionally as a second striker. But, when it comes to goalmouth action, he has 3 assists but only one goal, despite taking an equal number of shots and crosses.
Aniket Jadhav takes a shot every 21 minutes but he has mainly been used as a winger drifting in after coming off the bench. That has resulted in him scoring only one goal. Other forwards in their team like CK Vineeth and Isaac Vanmalsawma, too, have only one goal.
Mumbai City FC likes to play in a 4-3-3 formation and only Bipin Singh has been featured in the front three so far. But, like the rest of the teams, he too has been mainly used in lodging crosses, visible by the 23 flying balls he has delivered as compared to taking only 10 shots.
Acting mainly as a screen for the defense, Raynier Fernandes loves to venture forward if he gets the opportunities. He has created 9 chances and bagged 2 assists for his team but has only one goal to his name.
Tale no different for bottom-placed clubs
NorthEast United's Redeem Tlang, operating in the right-wing, has taken only 10 shots in 8 matches and has 2 goals to his name. The Highlanders mainly use their full-backs to soar crosses.
For Chennaiyin FC, Thoi Singh likes to cross the ball more often whereas Lallianzuala Chhangte, despite averaging 2.25 shots per match, has only one goal to his name. That goal was the only one scored by an Indian player for the Marina Machans.
Rahul KP is the lone Indian goalscorer for Kerala Blasters. In the four matches he has played, he has taken only six shots. Sahal Abdul Samad has seen less playing time but has created 11 chances and has two assists to his name.
Their full-backs like to surge forward whipping in crosses and their wingers Prasanth Karuthadathkuni and Halicharan Narzary do no different things. But, the ones who prefer to take shots like Samuel Lalmuanpuia or Seityasen Singh have found playing time tough to come by.
Hyderabad FC's Robin Singh has played eight matches so far as a part of their front three and has taken 10 shots. And, against Bengaluru FC, he did score a goal. Rohit Kumar, who likes to sit deep, is the only other Indian goalscorer for Hyderabad FC.
What should be done?
The Indian players can only improve if they are given chances regularly. And, if that means them failing to bundle the ball in the back of an empty net, the managers need to counsel them properly and maintain their faith so they don't commit the same mistakes again. Cutting their playing time or telling them to cross the ball won't help Indian football in the long run.
Even Sunil Chhetri in his formative years for Mohun Bagan scored only eight goals across three seasons in the I-League. He also struggled to find playing time but once he started regularly under the tutelage of Sukhvinder Singh for JCT, there was no one stopping him.
Importing the Roy Krishnas and Ferran Corominas will always give them good display in front of goals. But, the real challenge lies in moulding the Indian strikers.
