Every attack starts from defence: Nirmal Chettri on the way forward for Indian football

Pune: Nirmal Chettri has won two SAFF Cups, one Nehru Cup, two Federation Cups, an IFA Shield and was part of the East Bengal side which finished second in 2010-11 and 2011-12 I-League seasons. In the Indian Super League, he has played in all three Kerala Blasters matches so far. He was one of the top picks of the domestic draft and along with Gouramangi Singh, is one of the best defenders India has produced. Nirmal’s rise was rapid, but not surprising. After an East Bengal vs Bayern Munich II (the reserve team) practice match in 2009, the 24-year-old caught German legend Gerd Muller’s eye: “Though it’s difficult to rate a team or a player, the No 3 (Nirmal) was very good. He did a fine job in central defence the other day and today he started in the midfield. Today he did okay. But in the first match, he proved that he can be an excellent defender.” Ironically, Nirmal started his career as a striker — first spotted in the Search for More Bhaichung’s campaign in 2000. He was just 16 when Air India signed him. The Big Three clubs in Kolkata (East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting) quickly followed and it was inevitable that he would soon play for India. [caption id=“attachment_1779753” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Nirmal Chettri in action for Kerala Blasters. ISL[/caption] But things really changed when a defender was injured while Nirmal was playing for the Sports Academy of Sikkim. “There was a match in 2006 in the Mini SAARC tournament when we were missing a defender — and because of my leadership and how I conducted myself, the coach thought I could play from the back. I used to be a scoring striker — but you can still see my killer instinct in front of goal when I go up for set pieces,” Nirmal told Firstpost. It’s clear that Nirmal knows his strengths. He is confident, young and talks straight. There is no beating around the bush — defending for him is more of an art than attacking. He has started enjoying it, terming his transformation into a centre-back ’life-changing’. “Defenders need to read the game more than attackers. Firstly, because one mistake can lead to a goal. And secondly, because you get more time to see the play in front of you. It’s not like a striker where you may get another chance to score. In defence, you need to make quick decisions based on the situation. Shall I throw myself in? Shall I back off? Shall I cover angles? That will make or break a move,” he says, explaining what defending is to him. It’s all good insight, but one wonders whether young players are given this sort of coaching in India: “It depends from coach to coach. I was very lucky that my basics were laid by Hangu Norden Lepcha, who is fantastic.” Lepcha passed away recently, and Nirmal was at the funeral just before Kerala Blasters’ ISL opener against NorthEast United. Lepcha also mentored star winger Sanju Pradhan — now a regular for Atletico de Kolkata. Nirmal isn’t too tall at 175 cm — but what he lacks in height, his stocky build balances out. He is strong, and most importantly, he is fast (EA based game FIFA has given him an acceleration of 86 and a sprint speed of 73 in their latest game). He also has a penchant for making his presence known to attackers. “It’s not always about covering (on being asked why Indian defenders throw themselves into tackles) — sometimes, you have to let the attacker know that ’listen, I’m here.’ And for that, you need to rough him up — legally.” But are his actions based on who is charging at him? “Sometimes you know a player, you read his game and you act on that. The ISL needs more cautious defending because of who’s running at you, but you’ve also got more dependable defensive partners. But if you’re asking me whether I treat players differently, then no. It could be my brother, Sunil (Chhetri) bhai, David Trezeguet or Alessandro del Piero — I’m going to go in just the same. If I have to kick them to save my team, I have to. That’s the game.” Nirmal is reportedly being paid Rs 70 lakhs plus 33 percent loan fee share — he talks calmly, like an experienced player is expected to. He also knows that he is a star, nodding curtly when asked whether he and Gouramangi can be the inspiration India needs so that kids don’t just to take up football, but show an interest in playing in the back-line too. “I think it’s an issue — I see young players come up to academies and they all want to play forward. It’s because they all follow Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But the reality is that whenever there’s a win, the strikers are praised. If it’s a loss, the defence is criticised. You have to live with it,” he says, as a couple of fans scream his name from the poolside of the Marriott Courtyard in Pune. He also discusses India’s problems openly. And more than technical, he says it’s a mental block: “We switch off after 70 odd minutes. I think that’s an issue when it comes to close games. We have to concentrate for the full game to avoid defeats.” We give him the example of Iran against Argentina and Algeria against Belgium — two games from the World Cup 2014 where the weaker teams deployed compact defences and broke on the counter to trouble more illustrious opponents. Nirmal doesn’t support defensive football, but concedes that it may be the way forward for India. “I’ve always believed that every attack starts from defence. I don’t want to say that we should play eight defenders, two midfielders and a striker. But defence is the way forward for India. I think we lack in top quality defenders. We must work on that.” Nirmal’s next game is on 30 October, against FC Pune City. The writers tweets @TheFalseNo9