By Nabarun Goswami
SHILLONG: With ‘mission I-League’ in mind, newly-appointed Shillong Lajong coach Desmond Donaldson Bulpin has prescribed that senior players need to take a break from the SPL to ensure that they are fresh and injury-free for the new season. Lajong go back to competitive football at the national level with the Federation Cup in mid-September.
While acknowledging that the SPL is a very competitive tournament, Bulpin said Lajong had some talented young players who should get a chance to play in the tournament, which would give them the necessary exposure to make it to the next level. That is also in tune with the youth development policy and the ‘Goal 2014’ project of the Club.
“In my short time with the Club I have realised that the Goal 2014 project is the way forward and is of utmost importance to the overall development of the young players of the region,” Bulpin said.
“We have seen the emergence and ascendancy of youth players like Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Wailadmi Passah who have shown a lot of growth and potential over the years, through the Goal ’14 project. As such, the youth team has been the priority of the playing preference in the local league,” he added.
Under the Goal 2014 project, the Club aims to absorb only players from the region by the year 2014 apart from foreign recruits.
Two of Lajong’s senior players, Tuboi and Chitra, were injured in the last game against Malki and that prompted the club to pull the senior players, who have undergone only four days of training, from the SPL.
The senior members will now undergo a pre-season training to make themselves fit, mentally and physically, for the grueling season ahead. Meanwhile, around nine boys from the youth team are also training with the seniors.
It may be mentioned that Lajong have had a poor run in the SPL so far and their recent defeat against Malki has raised speculation that the premier club might be relegated from the tourney.
Reacting to this, Bulpin said, “We are not bothered about relegation as long as the decision to field the youngsters yields the desired result.”
He reiterated the ‘catching them young’ policy which is followed by great clubs around the world including the likes of Manchester United who nurtured players like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes .
Talking about the preparations of the senior team, the Scottish coach said that fitness is a ‘major issue’ with the players and pointed out that it is important for them to have 8-9 weeks of training before they play any competitive tournament at the national stage. The coach, however, said the team should be ready for the Federation Cup next month.
Bulpin was of the view that the club needed “three big African or Brazilian players” to compete with the best in the country. He also stressed the need for a tall goalkeeper (6ft and above).