For NorthEast United, the Indian in the Indian Super League matters most

There are 118 Indian players in the Indian Super League but how many of them do you really know? Almost everyone who turns up for the ISL games knows Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Nicolas Anelka and Zico but when it comes to the Indian players – most of the fans resort to pointing or simply shouting out the numbers.

However, if NorthEast United have their way, this will start changing very soon. From the very beginning – everyone in the team management has been harping on the fact that this team isn’t in the league to just win. They have a higher goal in mind, namely developing football in India and giving birth to home grown stars.

After the 2-0 win against Mumbai City FC, NorthEast manager Ricki Herbert once again reiterated the focus on India — giving goalkeeper Rehenesh’s example. The Keralite had committed errors in game against FC Goa and while it might have been easy for the manager to look in another direction, Herbert chose to see the bigger picture instead.

“I think he didn’t need to make a save (against Mumbai) – he dealt with the crosses very well. But I’ll tell you why I played him. When I came to the NorthEast United franchise, a very big component of our plans was developing Indian players for the future and it would be easy for me to dismiss him for making one mistake in Guwahati and leaving him out tonight.

“And I thought ’no,’ I am going to give him the confidence, I am going to give him the confidence against a side that had scored five goals in the last game. And that has to hold and am not going to change my views on that. Whether he plays against Delhi or not, my views are not going to change. Those boys need challenges like that – this is a much bigger competition than any of our boys have played. And I think, good on them — and tonight, he really responded to getting another chance. He can walk with his head held high.”

The experiences of the ISL are an eye-opener for many of the Indian players. They have never had the opportunity to train with world-renowned coaches and the methods can be overwhelming at times. As can the demands. But Herbert realises the need to be patient with the lot.

“We spent a month training back home and we have tried to invest a lot in the grassroots in Guwahati. We saw crowds of 30,000-35,000 turn up, even in Mumbai out of the 20,000 odd, there were many NorthEast fans waving flags and that is important to us,” he said in the post-match conference in Mumbai. “My best XI is only going to be as good as my Indian boys and I am delighted with them. And they need hope, support and development and they are going to get it from me. If it costs me one or two games – and I am not talking just about them – then so be it. Because I think you will be proud when you see these boys in a year or two’s time.”

Herbert also realises that the Indian players are important because they are used to the hostile conditions. The skill levels of this bunch of players can vary from the very good to the ordinary. But meshing them into one winning unit is not going to be easy.

“If you see our team – a number of players have been involved – partly because of the gruelling schedule and partly because it’s not very easy to go ‘here’s my best XI.’ I don’t like the word rotation – for me, it is more like an investment into the 26 players in the squad. And you have seen that with the goalkeeper in the last two games.

“You have a volume of Indian players and a volume of international players – and then you have to figure out the right connection to put the best team on the park to get winning results. It’s hard and it will probably take till the end of the campaign till we go to ’this is our best team.’ The international players are at a level and then you have the Indian players developing everyday. It is a very initial period and who knows what turn things will take.”

Whatever turn things may take, in the end, India sure will be glad that NorthEast put India first.