Constantine’s perform-or-perish policy starts to pay dividends

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “This team is for the future,” proclaimed Stephen Constantine as he went on a major overhauling mission, handing debuts to 22 players since he took over last year.

The team took a step in the right direction with a gutsy display on its way to SAFF Cup glory.

It was a Herculean effort for a team that has been together for a short time. Some of the players were brought in because of a spate of injuries, but they didn’t disappoint.

“We weren’t given a chance before the tournament but we made it to the final. Everyone said we would lose but won,” said Constantine, dedicating the victory to hard work.

The young ones who came in consider Constantine a father figure and liked the changes brought in terms of a strict fitness regime, GPS monitoring system and overall purposeful approach.

A father figure he may be, but for him it was about how players adhered to his policy of perform or perish. Some came and went. Some stayed on and some are trying to break in. “No player is dear to me. It’s about how much he is willing to put in and how much he is willing to adapt,” he had told HT in an earlier conversation.

Barring Sunil Chhetri, Subrata Paul and Eugenson Lyngdoh, most of them are young and six of them are under-23 and below, including 18-year-old Lallianzuala Chhangte, who became the youngest scorer for India against Nepal.

What works for this team? Chhetri pointed to the camaraderie. “They may be new to the national setup but they are always together. During breakfast, the way they behave,” said the skipper.

The defence takes time to gel but the likes of Pritam Kotal, Narayan Das, Arnab Mondal and Augustine Fernandez, who came in for the injured Sandesh Jhingan, are getting into the groove.

Jeje Lalpekhlua is one of the players who has benefitted from the confidence shown in him. He broke into the Indian squad in 2011 but wasn’t able to book a permanent slot. A consistent run in the team, and he looks a different player.