Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh said on Thursday that the new chief coach Graham Reid’s “simple and friendly approach” has brought a calming influence on the team and it is reflecting on the turf.
“The coach has created a friendly environment in the team and he has kept a very simple approach. He is very open about his thought process and is approachable to each and every team member. If any player has any concerns, he is always welcoming,” Manpreet said.
“This has also improved the performance of the team,” added the 26-year-old midfielder, who had an impressive FIH Series Finals in Bhubneshwar.
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Manpreet said the 56-year-old Reid, who replaced Harendra Singh in April, didn’t tinker too much with the attacking style of play.
“The coach (Reid) has not made any significant changes as of now as he is currently new to the set up. He will be looking to make a few changes during our camp which is scheduled in July,” he said.
“Right now, he wants us to continue the good work we did in the FIH Series Finals. He also wants us to improve in our attacking game and work more on creating goal scoring opportunities and penalty corners.”
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India lived up to its billing and thrashed South Africa 5-1 in the summit clash and the skipper said the team would like to carry forward the momentum ahead of the final qualifying round of the 2020 Olympics in November.
“We will continue to carry forward the momentum into the next tournament. We will rectify the mistakes we made in this tournament. We are currently preparing for the final qualifying round, which is in November,” said Manpreet.