India head coach Khalid Jamil points to a lack of mental toughness among the Indian players, but acknowledges the baby steps forward after their 4-0 defeat to Brazil on Saturday (October 3).

The Indian team showcased glimpses of encouragement but suffered a defeat at the hands of the Selecao, as more than fifty thousand witnessed history at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was at the heart of a couple of goalkeeping howlers, and Jamil believes India conceded a couple of soft goals.

It happens sometimes. You can’t blame one player. The goalkeeper tried his best. I think two or three of them were soft goals, due to individual error,” Jamil said after the match.

Lesson from Brazil

When asked about Carlo Ancelotti, Jamil spoke highly of the Italian and praised the man-management style of the legendary coach. On the learnings from Brazil, the Indian head coach stressed the consistent focus, which is crucial in an international game.

“You must believe in yourself. The focus and concentration must be there from the start. You must work according to the plan. One mistake can cost us very badly,” the India head coach added.

Players weren’t up to the mark

The Indian team joined the camp a fortnight ago as the season is yet to start. And the head coach believes playing more matches would definitely enhance their preparation. And the Indian coach also blamed a lack of conviction and belief among the players who came on as substitutes.

“The preparation has to be good. You have to be ready and consistent from 1-90 minutes. If you get a chance, you have to capitalize. The players who were substituted in were not up to the mark. Maybe they lacked belief, and that’s why they have to be mentally strong. None of them was up to the mark,” the India coach added.

Was Gurpreet Singh Sandhu at Fault?

Although Gurpreet had a horrible outing in the match, Khalid rebuffed the blame game on the Indian custodian, saying it was a collective mistake, defending the Indian goalkeeper and believing the player will bounce back in coming games.

“Gurpreet is one of the best goalkeepers India have. You can’t judge him in two matches, he will be back again. You can’t blame the goalkeeper solely, even the defender didn’t close down quickly. It was a collective mistake,” he added.

Jamil admits there was pressure on the Indian team ahead of playing such an elite opponent as Brazil, and admits it will take time for the Indian team to elevate their level.

Attack was a positive for India

India’s scoreline may look a 4-0 defeat, but the Blue Tigers had their moments. There were attacking cohesion in the side, which opened up the Brazil defense a few times. Ryan Williams came close once, and an effort from him was saved on goal line. The quick exchange of passes, a few driving runs from Williams encouraged the home supporters. Manvir got behind the defence and lobbing over Gabriel to find Williams, whose shot went wide, as India came close to scoring a historic goal. The Indian team, interestingly, took nine shots, and three of them were on target.

Speaking on that, Jamil concluded, “I think we looked good offensively. Midfield did very well. Williams and Sahal were good. Manvir, in one-on-one, did well and took a lot of load. Williams tried his best. We have to be strong defensively.”

The Indian team’s test continues as they will face Uruguay on Tuesday at the same venue. The Blue Tigers will have a big task in hand and Jamil’s focus will be on more cohesion in defence.