Armando Colaco: Is he trying to change too much?

A question which I have been asking myself since Armando's first statements following his appointment and even more after the list of 42 probables for the India Senior camp from June 15 onwards was released is, if is Armando Colaco trying to change too many things in too little time while he is Team India coach?

I have said it on the Sportsbench podcast and written it on my blog that Armando shouldn't try to change too many things in the short time ahead of the difficult 2014 FIFA World Cup - Asian 2nd Round qualifiers against the United Arab Emirates on July 23 & 28.

Armando has only five weeks to prepare the team for such a tough home-&-away encounter and even though the younger core of Team India remains - Subrata Pal, Gouramangi Singh, Syed Rahim Nabi, Steven Dias, Sunil Chhetri - there are a number of players who would come in new to the national team.

And in five weeks one simply cannot build a new team, teach them a new system, etc. A national team needs more time then a club side as they don't play together all season long. I seriously hope Armando isn't taking too big a gamble...


In an interview with news channel CNN-IBN Baichung Bhutia too was sceptical of this approach.

Baichung said, "The new Indian team that has been selected you have seen - half of the squad is new. So when half of the squad is new it is as good as a new team. So for a new team, even at the club level where you play for years and years you don't get it right. So you can imagine what will happen in a national team. When you are playing a good side like UAE you need to give him more time."

"You don't build a team during a World Cup qualifier, which is against the UAE because that is a big big match. UAE is one of the best teams in Asia. We played against them in a friendly and lost 5-0 when seven of the senior players were out of duty due to injuries. So when you are going for a game against UAE you have to be very well organised, tactically and also the quality of their players are the best in Asia. You don't build your team in such matches."


What do you think? Is Armando taking too big a gamble?