Jeje Lalpekhlua's biggest sin was scoring four goals in his first three games for India's senior side. Since then, the nation's football fans have stamped him with the tag of 'the next Bhaichung Bhutia'. It didn't help ease expectations when he slammed 14 goals in 16 matches for Indian Arrows on loan from FC Pune in the 2010-11 season. However, that was the last prolific season Jeje had, before a knee injury halted his progress and the excitement around him subsided.
"I have not achieved as much as I thought I would. Injuries at a young age can halt a player's progress but now I feel I am getting back to my best. I feel good in front of goal and I'm very confident in the box," Jeje told Firstpost in Chennai on the eve of Chennaiyin's clash against Mumbai City FC. Twenty-four hours later, he scored with a lovely dink to double his side's lead and take them to the brink of Indian Super League2015 semifinal contention.
Jeje celebrates his goal against Mumbai City. ISL
Jeje has four goals and two assists in this year's ISL, but looks stronger, fitter and has put on a lot of muscle — all prerequisites for Marco Materazzi's demand for 'aggressive football' in the three months that he manages in India.
Jeje speaks candidly about the comparison with Bhutia, Indian football's poster boy before Sunil Chhetri's rise to prominence. "He is my idol, and I have great respect for him. Make no mistake, Bhutia is a different player and Jeje is a different player. We are both strikers but we have different styles. It's great to be compared and it doesn't add any pressure," the 24-year-old said, with a baseball cap perched backwards on his head.
The Mizoram-born player hardly produced the sort of form he does for Chennaiyin in I-League club Mohun Bagan's title-winning run last season — and whether it is down to the difference in quality of the league and training, or simply because he loses the motivation to perform better is anyone's guess. For Jeje though, it's all about the player doing his best not to undo the improvements that take place under a foreign staff in a professional setup like the ISL.
"It's eventually down to the player to train hard and extra if he feels he is forgetting whatever good things he learnt during the ISL. Every coach and every club has a different style of training and managing players and while that is also something to follow, we must strive to go the extra mile — individual training, extra practice, whatever it takes — to maintain this quality."
With the I-League now down to nine clubs (Bharat FC, Pune FC and Royal Wahingdoh have pulled out), Jeje admits that there are times when players feel helpless.
"Sometimes I think as a player, 'humaara kya' (what about us)? As players we feel bad, for the clubs, for the league and for the people attached to those clubs. It's not a good sign for Indian football and it must not happen," he said.
Jeje was one of the players retained by Materazzi for Chennaiyin's second season and he has struck a brilliant understanding with their electric forward Stiven Mendoza. The two combine and create havoc as the club have found their feet again in front of goal and look tactically astute in a late run for the semis.
If Jeje's finish against Mumbai City, against a goalkeeper like Subrata Paul is anything to go by, then he is clearly doing better than what he does in the I-League. He's also putting into practice what Materazzi has been trying to drill into him over the past couple of months: "Positioning. That's what he keeps telling me about. If my positioning is good, it's easy to score. I can hold the ball well and pull a man, but if I start getting into good positions, there's nothing like it."
Jeje's current form makes him untouchable in the side — and come their crunch tie against Pune City, he will need to be at his best to break down a well-drilled defensive unit.
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