The exact mettle of Tamil Nadu side will be evaluated this week. Whether they are just paper tigers at the home front or national-champions-in-the-waiting would be measured by their performances against Delhi, Mizoram and Railways, as they begin their 66th Santosh Trophy campaign at the Kalinga Stadium, here, on Saturday.
Tamil Nadu will face Cluster 1 winners, Delhi, in their opening quarterfinal league match to be played under lights.
Tamil Nadu, after a dismal outing last year, look to bury the past in a hurry and are keen to etch their name on the golden history of national football.
But at the same time, they are smart enough to realise that they have their task cut out in the four-team league.
If Railways, presumably, are the strongest opponents in their group, Delhi and Cluster 6 winners Mizoram are no pushovers.
During the qualifiers, both teams have pumped in buckets of goals, with the biggest margin being Delhi’s 13-0 mauling against Andaman.
“No team is guaranteed to sail into the semis. We are not going to be complacent against any of our opponents,” said TN coach Syed Sabir Pasha.
Tamil Nadu possess a seasoned defence line in D. Edison, K. Sathish, R. Naveen Kumar and M. Murthy. Sathish, in particular, loves to surge ahead in an attacking mode whenever an opportunity arises.
All they need to do is, put the big-stage fear on the back burner and give it their all. It would be difficult for opponents to break-in if they play to their potential.
With the experienced duo of V.R. Murugappan and Shanta Kumar manning the flanks, there won’t be a dearth of quality crosses coming in.
The effervescent Nirmal Kumar is another player who can make a huge impact with his measured assists.
The playmakers form the crux of the team. It would be baptism of fire for Charles Anandraj who enthralled one and all with his enterprise during the local league.
The diminutive L. Stegin is also highly regarded by Sabir and will be looking to come out all guns blazing.
Tamil Nadu, however, are not without uncertainties. The forwards — M. Ramesh and Reagan — will have to fight for goals throughout and they need to push that extra yard even during the closing minutes.
They would also need to be especially strong in the air. Meanwhile, the midfielders and wingers cannot afford to be one-dimensional and need to have plan ‘B’ if things don’t work out.
A win against Delhi would give Tamil Nadu a much-needed impetus for the rest of the tournament.
Action today At Bhubaneswar: Railways vs Mizoram (4.30pm).
Tamil Nadu vs Delhi (6.45pm). At Cuttack: Services vs Haryana (4.30pm). Orissa vs Chhattisgarh (6.30pm).
Ramesh ready to prove his mettle
Tamil Nadu striker M. Ramesh is confidence personified. The sturdy Customs player, after his return from the operation table midway through the CFA league, had promised to score at least 10 goals in the remaining half-a-dozen odd games in the tournament.
He did not disappoint and dished out a memorable show that helped Customs regain the title.
Ramesh, who is leading the team at the Santosh Trophy, has yet again vouched something special at the national tournament. This time, the talented forward asserts that he will find the target in every match that he plays — something which is not beyond him if he gets going.
Ramesh, who will start alongside fellow-striker A. Reagan in the starting 11, says the tactics this time are going to be entirely different.
“The team will not be looking only at the two of us to score. The coach has asked the wingers and midfielders to play join the attack in order to put the opponents under pressure straightaway.
“I can assure you that there will be a lot of aerial goals scored this time and a handful of players are capable of finding the back of the net.
Reagan and I have played together during the last Santosh Trophy, so we know each other’s game pretty well. We know a lot of people back home are expecting us to do well this time. I am confident the team will live up to their expectations,” said Ramesh.
Tamil Nadu coach Syed Sabir Pasha said that Ramesh was a finished product now. He expects the striker to lead from the front.
“Both of them (Reagan and Ramesh) have been toiling hard during training. The chemistry between these two is excellent.
I know they can do exceptionally well but my only worry is that they should not get buckled down by pressure,” added the former international.
Both the strikers were all praise for the former Indian star’s coaching methods.
“Having been a striker himself, our coach has imparted important nuances that helps one be successful in the final third. There are a number of youngsters in our squad who only stand to gain by this experience,” they added.