The second part of Karim Bencherifa’s special interview with punefc.com in which the Coach speaks about the team’s composition.
Excerpts;
There are a lot of new faces in the team. How did we go about shortlisting players?
When I joined the team, I sensed the weaknesses and loopholes in the squad, but I knew we had time. So we slowly took our time to decide on players. We had a few players on trials, and I think we have selected some quality players, of course within our budget. I can, now, say that we have options in almost every position.
Perhaps the right half position is where we need maybe a little strengthening. But otherwise, we look a good balanced team now, with all the new signings we did.
I must give credit to the boys on trials as well, even the ones we didn’t sign. The players stayed patient till the last day, some of them have signed, but others didn’t and understood the reasons.
Again, I must highlight the fact that the management was always in touch with me and very understanding on the needs of the team. I think we are slowly building a balanced team and it is up to us to make it even stronger.
Your views on the new experienced faces in our side…
In my opinion we have been smart in signing some experienced players, that’s because we have a lot of youngsters. When I talk about experience it is not only related to the age. Players like Matthew Gonsalves, Luciano Sabrosa and Ryuji Sueoka will give that experience to the squad along with the likes of Anas Edathodika, Arata Izumi and even Mumtaz Akhtar.
Moreover, these players will help on the leadership side of the team. The youngsters that we have signed will add to the quality; so we have a lot of energy in the squad which we will carry. The build-up of the team is not over yet, but we are on the right track.
Some loyal fans expressed their concerns on signing of seasoned foreign players. Your take on that…
I understand the concerns. I have also been following their reactions. I like to be in touch with what the fans think and say because I also believe fans are an important part of the club.
I have followed the fans reactions and realized that there’s a mix - the majority are happy and welcoming new signings and few not happy, which is normal. Not every decision that the club or the coach takes is a popular one. Though they may not agree with us, I would like to highlight a few things to them.
From my experience being in India since 2006, there were times when I too thought that we need fresh players. But with time, I felt that it is a mistake to look for all four fresh players. If we are allowed to sign four foreigners, in my opinion we should have at least two or may be even three seasoned players. Because, signing all four new players who’ll be playing in India for the first time is a big, big gamble.
…could you elaborate your ideology?
Sure. For example, if a player travels to various countries in Europe to play, everything is almost the same in terms of infrastructure, weather, food etc. So, the players travelling to different countries like Germany, England, France, Spain etc. to play don’t have to adjust much. Maybe they would need to adjust a little bit with the language, but otherwise the overall atmosphere is almost similar.
But moving from any setup to India is unique; I am not saying it is bad, but I am saying different and unique, in terms of weather, food, grounds, long trips and travels. Because the conditions in different locations and states are unique and there are a lot of things that a new player coming into India needs to adjust; and that needs time, sometimes a lot of time. But on the other hand, the expectations are huge and results are expected almost immediately from him and the team.
Are you suggesting that playing in India is a different ball game?
Any new fresh player who comes in, no matter how strong he is, won’t have the experience behind him to deal with these vast differences he encounters. A player will need at least four to five months to settle. Other than very few exceptions, I have hardly seen a new foreign player in India who has had an immediate impact in his first season.
That’s why it’s a gamble. That’s why, seeing the number of youngsters we have, and add to that what I have explained above, we looked for experienced players. And I didn’t look only for good players, because in my opinion to win trophies you need not just good players, but good human beings and leaders as well.
What should one expect as far as the foreign signings go with Pune FC?
We are keeping our options open. Out of four foreigners, three will be accustomed to the Indian conditions and are seasoned I-League players who have proved themselves; and I can guarantee their leadership, their hard work and their good professional attitude. Then, we may have a fresh player in the fourth slot and will still have a balance in the team.
