ISL 2019 | Carles Cuadrat’s ‘physicality’ concerns Bengaluru FC’s biggest barrier this season

Bengaluru FC have merely been a shadow of their pre international break self, where the Blues were deemed the most complete side in the league. Their style of play, approach to the varying playing styles of the ISL teams, and the never give up attitude have all evaporated in their last three ISL matches against Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United, and Kerala Blasters.

After the 1-0 loss to Mumbai, Cuadrat had even said that “players are not so powerful physically” in a press conference before immediately minimizing the damage by saying that “But they gave everything”. More than anything else, this was bound to have a lasting negative impact in the dressing room, and if not necessarily the results, their performances have surely reflected the down in morale.

Cuadrat, being the assistant coach to Albert Roca last season, knew what he was getting into even before he took the job and him citing physicality as a reason for bad results is definitely worrisome for Bengaluru fans for it points one of two possibilities – either the Spaniard is out of his depth, or he is not being entirely truthful. And the fans would be begging that it is the second possibility for the first scenario would indicate that the beautiful project i.e. Bengaluru FC needs to undergo massive changes and immediately.

The second option is quite probable here too, for Cuadrat cannot come out publicly and criticize fan favourite Sunil Chhetri for failing to execute from the linkup plays in the attacking third. In the absence of Miku, the Indian skipper has looked outwitted often with Bengaluru needing defensive resources to step up and get home the winners. And with the Ecuadorian striker returning next match, the problem would be all but solved.

Football would always be counted among the top few recognized sports when one sits down to enlist the top contact sports in the world, but it has also proved time and again that the most supreme of athletes haven’t always ruled the field. For a player to thrive in the long run, of course, good height and weight were viewed as essential attributes thereby making tall players taller and strong players stronger over the years; but it has never guaranteed greatness.

The first one is a fairly easier and well-documented barrier to break where elements like formations, possession, movements come into consideration with the coach’s function mainly being in outsmarting his counterpart with X’s and O’s. This is the easier part if football was only strategies needed to be executed to perfection, for it would then be limited to androids with no emotions involved. It is the other part, the humane one, which makes football magical. 

This part constitutes one’s individual and the team’s collective mental strength, one’s emotional control under pressure situations, one’s adaptability and creativity in telling conditions, one’s ability to get the job done under high expectations or no expectations at all. This mental aspect requires a player to fend off-the-field distractions, to perform even when one is hated by fans or teammates, to succeed after failing on the previous three times. 

Despite Bengaluru having a tailor-made squad that could counter-attack with utmost perfection, Cuadrat could always choose to be proactive rather than reactive. And the Sabadell-born Cuadrat wouldn’t need to look farther for inspiration in this case. 18 kms from his native place, Barcelona had once come extremely close to perfecting football with two little magicians – Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez – in the midfield. 

Bengaluru, too, have nimble footed Dimas Delgado and Xisco, who could bring technical superiority in the midfield with Erik Paartalu providing muscle up top to topple sturdy defences, while Chhetri, for his weaker link play, can always compensate with his masterful finishing up top. However, all these tactical changes wouldn’t work until Cuadrat believes that his team has everything in them to overcome physically dominant opponents.