Marcus for change in coaching system

PONDICHERRY: As a talent spotter and a coach, Marcus Pacheco, the former Goa and Murmagao Port Trust goalkeeper and later Salgaocar coach, has been entrusted with an important assignment by the All India Football Federation.
The task ahead of him is monumental — that of reviving Indian football. If successful, Pacheco could play a small but important role in changing the destiny of Indian football.
Here in Pondicherry to select a talent pool from the teams participating in the final phase, second division National Football League, the talent spotter spoke to Times News Network on his job and goal.
Excerpts from the interview:
What exactly is AIFF''s brief to you?
I have been told to identify talented young players (under-23) who have the potential to later on form the nucleus of the senior national team. It will be a kind of our second XI. And if he is an exceptional talent, to directly recommend him for the senior national team.
Players of which position fell short of your expectations?
I am not happy with the goalkeepers and forwardline. Off the eight teams, six had foreigners as their strikers. So there was not much choice. And if I am not mistaken the same selection problem will be in the senior team because in the first division also most of the forwards are foreigners.
You have watched the NFL second division closely and as a neutral observer. What changes do you advocate?
I would prefer a reduction in the number of foreign players allowed per team to two. If our players don''t get a chance to play even in the second division then where will they play. Now our forwards are not getting chance to play at all. We should cement the lower base.
Having attended the foreign coaching courses, where are we going wrong?
We need a total revamp of our coaching system. In the FA England course which was conducted by two world famous coaches. I realised that what we are doing is completely wrong.
The training program has to be like our education system. It has to be systematic, starting with simple lessons as in kindergarten and introducing tough lessons as per the age group.
The training program starts at eight and is divided into three age groups: 7/8 to 12, 12 to 14 and 14 to 16. In the age group 8 to 12 you only concentrate on four skills: dribbling, receiving, short passing and running with the ball. As the muscles are not developed no shooting practice is done. Then from 12 to 14, long range passing, heading, shooting is introduced. As the players come closer to the age of 16, training comes closer to match situations introducing more of small sided games.