Indian skipper Bhaichung Bhutia accepts readily that coach Stephen Constantine has made a sea change in Indian football ever since he set foot on the sub-continent. Constantine (41), for his part, still believes there is a lot to be done. He’s not the easiest person to draw into a conversation but perhaps the charms of Goa, where MICKY AIGNER caught up with him, did the trick. Excerpts from their conversation:• How is IM Vijayan’s retirement affecting the team?The Black Pearl’s absence is a huge void. But an individual is an individual.someone like Newcastle United’s Alan Shearer, who has decided he will not play for England but still as a club player is always among scorers, giving one reason and hope to pursue him back into the national side.• Do you see Ashim Biswas stepping into Vijayan’s shoes?No one can step into anyone’s shoes. Biswas, yes he is good.if he reaches to even half of what Vijayan has done, it would be good.• Are you too dependent on Bhaichung Bhutia?Yes and no. Bhutia is a great player and a down-to-earth fighter when it comes to the country, a must on any team. But if he’s not there, someone else will be there.• Strikers has always been our worry.Finding anyone outside the current crop means sleepless nights for any coach in India. All twelve clubs of the NFL have made it a priority to use their foreigner quota in strikers. So there is a shortage when one has to look at 20-odd foreign strikers.• So how do we overcome this?Well, you cannot blame the clubs, their priorities are clear. But probably the AIFF could impose a ban on foreigners, as was the case in Malaysia for two years, before reimporting them or maybe just reduce the quota to two. It’s a major concern.• What do you expect out of this World Cup qualifying group?It’s a tough group and everybody has aspirations of their own. But India would probably have a more realistic chance (of success) in the Asian Cup or the pre-Olympic qualifiers.
