Constantine blasts ISL ill-effect on players, rues Robin absence, says team is ready for semi challenge

STEPHEN CONSTANTINE was the embodiment of confidence and assurance at the pre-match press conference ahead of India's all-important semi-final match aganst Maldives at the SAFF Championship tomorrow.

Following up on the Maldives coach's session with the journalists during which Ricki Herbert asserted that they were ready to "change history" and that the pressure was on India, Constantine said his side was as ready as they could be under the current circumstances,

"Preparations have been hindered by an injury or two. The Maldives side are well-organized, they have a new coach, it's going to be an interesting match... I don't think Maldives are just a counter-attack side. They have a few good players, it'll be a difficult game."

At the start of the tournament Constantine had been vocal in his criticism of the way the tournament was organized and scheduled. He said his opinion had not changed on that regard but he recognized the opportunity it presented him,

"The SAFF gives us an opportunity to test ourselves against oppositions of similar levels. It has a place in the calendar for me, although it's well known how I think of the way it has been organized."

Asked about Chhangte Lallianzuala, the 18 year old who has had two promising games for the national team during which he has also scored a brace, Constantine cautioned against getting carried away with the premature idolizing of a player who is just beginning his journey in senior football, 

"It's always great to see a youngster make an early club or international debut. But you have to look after him off the pitch. These boys have agents coming out of the woodwork, clubs offering them the moon, friends and relatives filling their ears with advices, media bugging them for pictures... this is a great deal of pressure for an 18 year old to handle. If we want them to become the stars they can be, we need to give them the time, space and care. Some of these boys don't make it. They disappear after two years because we make them out to be stars after one or two good matches and they go around thinking they are Lionel Messi. We should try to nurture and help them instead. It's a long road for them."

When a journalist asked if there was any personal pressure on him going into this crucial knock-out match, Constantine said,

"Any time India plays you have pressure to do well for your country. But I've been doing this for 20-something years. It's become a way of life."

With injuries and fatigue issues hurting much of the team's preparations, the vaccum left by two FC Goa players - Mandar Rao Dessai and Romeo Fernandes - who were a no-show at the national team camp is making the team miss out on some much-needed squad depth. But Constantine was realistic about the situations, saying he was more than willing to make do with the players available to him, 

"From the moment they didn't report they went out of my head. We have a set of boys here who have done quite well. We picked a total of 28 at the start, the ones we have now have all performed quite well, I'm not thinking about the ones who did not come."

But the biggest blow India have suffered so far is definitely the injury of striker Robin Singh, who after aggrevating an injury picked up during ISL is set to be out of action for some 6 months. Constantine said he missed his player,

"Robin for me is a key player. His work rate is phenomenal. So he's obviously a big loss. But life goes on. We did well after he was substituted. So others will have the chance to fill his place and prove themselves."

He repeated his vocal opposition to the way players were overworked in the ISL. Speaking of the fatigue and stress the private tournament induces in the players' bodies, Constantine said,

"I think from a physicality point-of-view the ISL has been not good but poor. We have scientific data that shows that shows that 5 training sessions including a game in ISL does not equal a game we play at the international level. That's unbelievable. The levels of fitness and the physicality side of the ISL isn't helping us at all, instead it's hurting us."

Finally, asked whether or he had any special plan for the especially threatening Maldives striker Ali Ashfaq, Constantine replied with a cheeky smile,

"You'll find out tomorrow."