Chennai: For the first time in recent memory, the Tamil Nadu squad for the Santosh Trophy has been selected purely on the basis of trials.
It’s a fact that worries coach C.M. Ranjith no end, for he believes that picking players after watching them in a competitive match is the best way.
The Chennai Football Association senior division league traditionally serves as the selection event for the state team, but the 12-club tournament hasn’t yet started this season, leaving Ranjith with no option other than relying on three-day trials.
The All India Football Federation has decided to conduct the Santosh Trophy in two phases this year.
After qualifiers in different parts of the country, two from each zone will advance to the final phase. The south zone qualifiers involving the Andaman & Nicobar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will be staged at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai from January 26.
Tamil Nadu will face Kerala on the opening day. One of the two matches every day will be played under floodlights. After a round robin league, two teams will advance to the final phase.
Ranjith, who will be handling the Tamil Nadu team for the first time in the Santosh Trophy, admitted that not having the league was a big setback.
“Trials are not at all the way to select a team. But I had no options. If there had been a league, I could have selected 25 to 28 players and started the camp straightaway.
Now the players were out of touch because the last league was conducted a year ago. No club was in practice after the league. I had to struggle a lot to get the players fit. After a fitness camp, some players reached 60 to 70 per cent fitness,” he added.
The former SBI player said he had proposed a state level tournament to the Tamil Nadu Football Association before selection.
“But we couldn’t conduct it as a result of lack of time. The south zone Santosh Trophy was postponed from December to January. Had we known in advance that it would be held in January, we could have staged the Champions Trophy for Chennai and district teams,” he said.
Lack of time, Ranjith said, prevented him from going for a youthful squad. “I wanted to select a squad full of youngsters with an eye on the future. That’s what Kerala did in the early 80s and they reaped the benefits in the 90s,” he added.
According to Ranjith, a coach should be given two or three years to develop a team. “It will ensure continuity. Today I’m here; tomorrow I may not be there. If the philosophies of coaches are different, players will get confused,” he said.
Ranjith, a dashing forward in his playing days, said he has zeroed in on a squad to the best of his abilities. “I have done my maximum. I have selected players who would suit my system. Club affiliation wasn’t important for me. Right now 28 boys are in the camp. The final squad of 22 will be announced on January 22 or 23,” he added.
While one would tend to think Kerala and Karnataka would be Tamil Nadu’s main rivals, the coach said even the Andaman & Nicobar couldn’t be ruled out. “The history of Andhra Pradesh tells us that they have talent.
The new format is a challenge for us because we are meeting tough south zone teams early on. Previously, the south zone teams were kept apart in the early stage,” he said.
Ranjith’s primary goal is qualifying for the final phase as one of the two teams from south zone. “As the zonal phase is being held in Chennai, I want our team to qualify as No.1.
Finishing on top will also help us in the final phase. The squad has a mix of experience and youth. I’m confident that the team will play well. The players, who are happy with training, will be under pressure because they will be playing in front of the home crowd. The pressure will also be on me to deliver,” he said.
One of the main worries for Ranjith is the absence of a surefire striker. It has been a problem for Tamil Nadu in the last four or five years. “This year is no different. We don’t have a match winner. There is lack of target oriented shooting. Reagan is a good talent but needs experience,” he said.
The Tamil Nadu coach is planning to deploy P. Sudhakar as a withdrawn striker in a 4-5-1 formation, even though the AGORC player primarily turned out as a midfielder in the senior division league. “Sudhakar holds the ball well and it relieves the pressure on our defenders,” Ranjith said. It’s almost certain that Reagan will be spearheading Tamil Nadu’s attack as the lone striker.
One area Ranjith is very happy about is midfield where he has many options. “Charles, Joffin, Karthik, Santha Kumar and Patil are all good. Praveen from Tirunelveli, who plays as left-half, is the most improved player in the camp. He is playing with a lot of confidence now,” he said.
But Ranjith, who was a veritable fox in the box in his playing days, said the most important thing in football is scoring goals. “I’m not worried how a goal is scored as long as someone is scoring. I scored my first goal for SBI in Chennai with my thigh. Playing well in defence and midfield doesn’t matter much if a team isn’t able to score goals,” he added.
