We want to stay No. 1 in Asia and get back to winning ways: Fulton

The Hindu

2 days ago

Going in as genuine contenders for a World Cup spot through the FIH Pro League and returning with just one win, seven successive defeats and second-from-last position was not part of the plan for the Indian men's hockey team on the European leg of the competition but coach Craig Fulton is in no mood to press the panic button.
With just over a month to go for the Asia Cup — the next opportunity for the team to book a 2026 World Cup spot — Fulton is keen on learning from the negatives of the tour, building on the positives and staying focussed on the main prize. As the team prepares for an important Australia tour, Fulton spoke about a wide range of issues including taking responsibility of the performances, developing a strong bench and keeping emotions apart from facts to move ahead.
Excerpts:
What is your takeaway from the European leg of the Pro league?
It was disappointing by the results in terms of what our expectations were. There were small moments in every game that didn't go according to plan. At the same time, we were competitive and could have easily drawn or won some of those games, so it was quite frustrating. A lot of it comes down to small moments, restarts, a little bit of defending, outletting under high pressure, penalty corner defence and attack. Normally, we're pretty good in those areas. And for some reason, it just didn't work out the way we wanted it to. We've got a plan for improving those areas.
Still, there were some positives. Against Holland, we pressed really well, we had a fantastic second game. We matched them for circle entries, we had more PCs. Unfortunately, we just couldn't score. There were big moments in games that we didn't take. We tried a new tactical system, a zonal system. In February, we did more man-to-man system. Now we have both, so yeah, it's a good block of reflection for us and discovery.
How do you deal with something like seven straight defeats as a coach?
It was extremely difficult. I've been through that once before with the Ireland men. I think we had eight straight defeats before we played the Rio Olympics, because we were playing teams better than us. But in this situation, there's more of an expectation that you would beat teams around you or even ranked above you.
The boys felt frustrated that we were doing the right things but couldn't finish. And then we would make mistakes and lose by a goal. But you win or you learn. It's really on you to take those tough lessons and turn them into reality. Take away the emotions and find the facts. We couldn't finish the fourth quarter like we started the first. There are lessons everywhere, we've had a good reflection on them. We'll now bring out those lessons and put them into training.
I think one of the games, it might have been the Argentina match, where at the start of every quarter, we conceded a goal, straight up after scoring. It's just a lapse in concentration and I'll take full responsibility for not having prepped the group the way it needed to be. But that's what happened, we can't brush that under the carpet. We have to man up and be accountable for that. I know the guys want to fix it. And they know they can fix it.
Especially going into the Asia Cup and beyond, that's our priority for the year. We've got a lot of good teams wanting to win this tournament, get direct World Cup qualification. We want to stay number one in Asia and get back to winning ways.
Could you elaborate on the team's frustrations during that losing streak?
You have an expectation to play well, get the results, and then it doesn't happen. How do you bounce back, stay together, not blame? How do you just stick together and make sure that your values shine through on the pitch? Your work rate, discipline is there. It's frustrating for the player and for the team. Because what if it happens in a tournament? How are you still able to win important matches if you're not at full strength? You have to find a way to win.
I think also when you add one or two injuries to that, that was a difficult period. But it's also an opening for others to take more responsibility. And that's also really important in a programme where you want to qualify for the World Cup.
You mentioned different structures you've been trying since the start of this year...
There's always a story behind the results. We're preparing ourselves for tournament hockey and different oppositions. When you come to the World Cup, there's world opposition. Not everyone plays the same way. We're already looking at that a year out. What we are pleased with is the tactics we chose and the way we played. We could do both. We didn't get the results per se but at a tournament, you would have 16 or 18 players and with each performance, they can get better. When you have 24 players, everyone needs an opportunity to play, so it's not perfect.
At the same time, we showed that we were competitive enough in the tactics we chose and that the players could implement those tactics. We didn't get the results but we can certainly get better in certain areas. We have to focus on PC defences and attacks, the final third, conceding soft goals along the baseline, things like that. But that's fixable and trainable.
Do you take heart from the fact that there were similar results before the Paris Olympics but the team went on to win a medal?
You see the lessons you have to learn behind the scenes. Is it pleasant losing five in a row? No, it's the most frustrating place to be. But as long as you turn those lessons into something tangible, it's worth it. They're exposing where you're actually weak and that's what you need. If you don't and you go and play them in a big tournament, then it's on you. I'm glad we did a good job with that. We have to do a good job with these results now, moving forward.
How important was the Pro League in terms of assessing the conditions for the World Cup?
Very important. It's also why we got the Indian-A team to play matches in Holland and Belgium, so there's seeds planted around, 'this is where it's going to be. This is what's going to happen'. Although we're not playing at the tournament venue, it's away from India and that's really important because it's easy for an Indian team to play in India, the support is phenomenal. It's how an Indian team performs away that is the true mark of how the programme is set up and how successful it is. We're trying to do a lot of games outside India so that they don't have full support in the build-up games. A World Cup won't be any different.
You've repeatedly spoken about Harmanpreet and how he was missed with injury. Is there any thought on how the team wants to go ahead when he's not there on field?
I think there's a short and long-term view on this because obviously Harman's not going to play for the national team forever. But while he's here, how do we find someone who can support him? Amit has a different skill-set, he can flick and hit. Jugraj has a good flick, Rajinder and Sanjay have been trialled, Neelam's been tested.
But yes, it's difficult to replace Harmanpreet. It's not something that you think about because while you have him, he's a powerful force.
At the same time, when you don't have him for four or five games, it makes a big difference. But that's a good problem to have. Yes, there's a challenge to replace Harman but we're not replacing him right now. We also have some variations, options that we haven't used yet.
Following up on that, there's just three weeks between the World Cup and the Asian Games next year and both are important. In that sense, how crucial is it to actually find backups, not just for Harman but for every role?
This is exactly why we we did the tour with the India-A squad. We're looking to build depth within our squad. We had a training camp with 40-odd players but it's like two squads, for the specific reason you've just mentioned. No one else in the world I think has their World Cup and three weeks later their Olympic qualifiers.
It's a massive challenge. We are trying to build depth and then, as we go into the next three, six, nine months, we'll have a better idea on the specific positions we need backups for. We've got a good idea of it.
But once you start playing games, and once we qualify, then we'll know what we really need. The key is that the Indian-A team keeps playing games and gives these younger players opportunities and I think it'll benefit Indian hockey in the long run.
What is the plan going forward?
There's a block of four friendly matches in Australia. We take a squad of 24 and we'll do selection try-outs there. We'll have 20 players that go to Bihar, 18 in the squad and two standbys.