The Tribune: ACTing lesson: Akash gains by going back

21-year-old playing as midfielder at Asian CT could help the striker develop into a playmaker

By Indervir Grewal

The Indian men’s team winning the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) title was no surprise. Being the world No. 6 in a field that had all the others ranked below No. 10, India were expected, on paper at least, to cruise to their second ACT title.

India’s win wasn’t convincing but satisfactory considering the squad. Roelant Oltmans didn’t field his first team. Some mainstays such as SV Sunil, VR Raghunath, Danish Mujtaba and Manpreet Singh were rested; the coach also had the opportunity to try out new combinations while giving match experience to a few youngsters. Experimentation was expected as the new Olympics cycle is beginning.

But the Dutchman’s biggest experiment, which could turn out to be a great decision for the future, happened by chance. At the last moment before the tournament, Manpreet picked up an injury and Oltmans decided to take along Akashdeep Singh, who was initially rested.

Akashdeep being a striker, Oltmans’ decision to play him as a midfielder — though surprising at that time — shows promise in the long run. It, however, also highlights the shortage of reserve players the national coach faces.
New role, new possibilities

It was not the first time that Oltmans used Akashdeep as a midfielder — the Dutchman did this experiment once before, in the run-up to the Rio Olympics. This time around, though, it continued through the tournament.

“I played as a midfielder in a match during the Spain tour earlier this year. But this was a whole tournament. I enjoyed this role very much,” said Akashdeep, whose role has usually been limited to playing in and around the striking circle. “I saw more of the ball, was able to participate more, contribute more. I also liked being given more responsibility, in attack and defence.”

Akashdeep said he enjoyed the defensive duties despite struggling initially. “In the first match, I struggled with the defensive positioning but I started feeling comfortable by the end of the tournament.”

Playmaker for future

His former coach Avtar Singh, though, did not like the idea of Akashdeep playing as a midfielder. However, he did feel that this experiment could help Akashdeep develop into a playmaker in the future. “When you play high up, your role is limited. There is always a lot of pressure from the defenders. In this tournament, he had a lot of freedom. He not only scored goals but also set up many,” said Avtar, who coached Akashdeep at the Surjit Academy, Jalandhar.
“I don’t think he should play as a midfielder regularly because he is a brilliant striker,” he added. “However, these experiments will give him the confidence and experience to become a complete forward. So, in time, he can become a central striker who can constantly shift into the role of a playmaker, behind the other strikers, during a match.”

A famous example of this evolution of a striker is Jamie Dwyer. The Australian great, who retired recently, started out as a centre-forward but with experience shifted between the roles of a striker and a playmaker.

“But that ability comes with a lot of experience. The good thing is that Akashdeep has the capacity. He was always among the best when it came to reading the game,” Avtar added. “That is why he has also been a good goal provider for others.”

Already, Akashdeep has been made to think about his growing role. “I had many discussions with the coach and with Sardar Singh.” said Akashdeep. “I will also talk to Manpreet.”

Transition period

It is highly unlikely that Oltmans played Akashdeep as a midfielder only because of Manpreet’s absence — in this transitional phase for this young team, filling the playmaker’s role becomes an important task for Oltmans, who has been given the coaching job until the 2020 Olympics.

In recent times, apart from Manpreet, the only options for playmaking midfielders have been Sardar, Mujtaba and SK Uthappa. Sardar and Mujtaba are already coming to the end of their careers and cannot match the young forwards in speed; it is highly unlikely that they will last till the Tokyo Olympics.

Out of the forward-line, Akashdeep, who will turn 22 next month, is the most experienced in the team after SV Sunil. The 29-year-old from Karnataka, however, is a winger.

“All eyes are on the junior team as it has some very talented defenders and midfielders. After the World Cup, many from that team are likely to graduate to the senior squad,” Avtar said.

However, it takes years to settle into the senior team and only very rare ones, after years of experience, can become playmakers.