Sjoerd agrees with old structure: Manpreet Singh

Yet again, Indian hockey is turning a new chapter. Yet again, a foreign coach is starting afresh in a major tournament. Yet again, the players stare at the challenge of responding to the changes.

The Asia Cup, beginning in Dhaka on Wednesday, is the first assignment of chief coach Sjoerd Marijne since taking over the Indian men's hockey team after the unceremonious sacking of Roelant Oltmans last month.

The Dutchman has been at the helm of the team for less than 20 days in the national camp in Bengaluru, and yet, as the players departed for Dhaka on Saturday night, they are expected to return home with a gold medal from the event.

As Asia's highest-ranked team, those expectations aren't unwarranted. However, with a new coaching set-up thumped on them just days before the tournament, the players are bound to take time to adjust to Marijne's methods.

And, therein lies the biggest challenge for India in this continental event.

Captain Manpreet Singh, though, has given credit to Marijne for not tinkering too much with the structure of hockey that the players were used to playing for the last couple of years under Oltmans.

"We're continuing with our old structure," Manpreet told DNA before flying to Dhaka. "We're happy with the structure that was set for us, and even Sjoerd agrees with that structure. He told us after taking over, 'our structure is good, and our planning is solid'. He tells the players to do only those things which we are comfortable doing.

"The only difference he brings in is in terms of his ideas. He says every player is his own coach. Other than that, the tactics and plans are similar. Everyone knows India is best while playing attacking hockey, and that is what he is working on as well," he added.

What makes the players more comfortable with their new coach is the fact that Marijne has been part of the Indian set-up since February this year as the chief coach of the senior women's team. Training in the same SAI centre in Bengaluru, both Marijne as well as the boys are familiar with each other.

"We haven't experienced any problems with the new coach. He knows more about the players since he has been here for some time. So, there are no problems for him as well as players in understanding each other. Everyone is really happy right now," the 25-year-old Manpreet said.

A major reason for that 'happy' feeling is Marijne's mantra of having a player-driven coaching system, where, as Manpreet said, every player becomes his own coach. Apart from that, Marijne has empowered the senior players in the side to become unofficial coaches themselves.

"For example, in the forward line, if (SV) Sunil spots something that is wrong or needs to be changed, then they all talk among each other and change it themselves," Manpreet said.

"It's the same in midfield and defence. If Sardar (Singh) spots something wrong in the defence, he goes up and shares this thoughts with players. And if they agree that it needs to be changed, it is changed," the midfielder added.

However, with more power comes more responsibility. And with high-performance director David John making it clear that the players will have to produce better results and that changes in the side will take place, the spotlight now will be more on the boys on the park than the coach off it.

"We are not taking any pressure," Manpreet said. "We are not going to the Asia Cup with the mindset of, 'we have to win every game'. We're going in with the mindset of, 'we want to win every game'," the captain said.

"We have immense self-belief. Our aim is to get the gold, and we trust ourselves to put in a performance that can get us that," he added.