"Is Indian football really developing?" is a haunting question. Actually it is like one step forward and two step back. We got some discrete success but always lack consistency. Just note the distance between two prominent success which I have seen -
Good performance in WC qualifier (Finished second behind UAE) 2000
LG Cup win 2002
AFC challenge cup 2008
Asia Cup 2011 (Not a success but a participation was enough for a starved fan like me)
(I am not considering Nehru Cup, SAFF Cup, Afro Asian Cup as they don't have any impact in FIFA ranking)
So the average is 3.67 years and in between we faced so many upsets. National team has not improved or deteriorated technically or tactically (Long ball, short pass terminologies don't even apply to our national team as our boys still don't know how to maintain a basic formation throughout the 90 mins) since late 90's, sometime they just displayed motivated performance.
I don't have any doubt about PK,Chuni, Balaram era. But I am pretty skeptical about Subrata, Shyam, Prasun, Subhas (70s - late 80s) so called golden era. I am busy this days collating all international match records of India and surprisingly our golden boys of Indian football received many humiliating defeats from Indonesia, Thailand or Malaysia. So actually we have not deteriorated we are still at a same level where others have moved on.
In terms of infrastructure, youth academies, foreigners we are improving but very slowly.
Maybe my statement will be considered as cliche but just wanted to reiterate.
I THINK FEW mnths back indonesia played a friendly match against netherland(where RVP also played) and lost 0-3 in jakarta....so playing a friendly against top teams is not a big deal ....just arrangement of sponsor who can take care of it .....
What Indian Captain Sunil Chhetri is saying is correct. We need to take it step-by-step. First we need to come into the level of top Arab teams in Asia. After that comes Japan, South Korea and Australia.
But the reporter failed to ask him what India should do to increase the pace of Indian football more quickly. We Indian football fans want our national team to play in FIFA World Cup. What is needed is for all Indians to unite together and take Indian football to glory.
India's football infrastructure is not good, no proper system, less financial support etc....... We all know (as per recent news) Narendra Modi got inspiration from Manchester United Coach Sir Alex Ferguson. I hope Modi gives back something to this beautiful game by taking Indian football to world class standards.
"I was not in favor of camps but now it look like wim should select his 30 men for next few years and have loads of camps like Bob has done at least the team should be together in India if we cannot afford to have camp overseas to be dominant in south Asia again "
- Bob Houghton will be considered one of the greatest coach in Indian football 27 years from now when we might qualify for another Asia Cup.
@shankar No I am not related to politics. But what captain Sunil Chhetri tried to say was the slow pace by which Indian football is moving right now.
Firstly we need to know what India needs to quickly increase the pace of football.
Secondly financial backing is an important factor here. India has $ 300+ billion dollars in foreign exchange reserves. Surely the new government can part $500 million dollars ( of that $300 billion dollars) for Indian football. I-league clubs such as United SC (and other 2nd division clubs) may get necessary financial assistance (with their own stadiums) from AIFF and won't have any problems in future.
Thirdly, countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia are quickly increasing their level of football which is alarming for India. If war-torn Afghanistan and Palestine can do well at a fast pace then what is stopping India?
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