India coach Bob Houghton with Alvito D’Cunha (left) and Syed Rahim Nabi during the ongoing national camp at SAI, Eastern Centre, on Tuesday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: Indian players are not contemplating scripting an upset over Saudi Arabia in the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifier here, but thanks to the presence of Bob Houghton, there is an aura of confidence across the ongoing national camp.

That the British coach’s way of guidance is primarily aimed at developing a “positive attitude” among the players is unanimously agreed upon by the players — be it Bhaichung Bhutia or Rennedy Singh or S. Venkatesh.

“We are not thinking big against Saudi Arabia. But we’ll be positive again them,” Bhaichung said after the afternoon practice session on Tuesday. The significant lineament of Houghton’s coaching is the focus on reading various match situations. Tuesday’s practice at SAI, Eastern Region, could be a case in point.

Dividing the players into two teams within a small swathe of the ground, Houghton pitted his defenders against Bhaichung & Co. and made them come to terms with a number of options in thwarting the offences.

The same was the case with his midfielders. The Venkateshes and Rennedys learnt to cope with various ploys to be employed both in case of attacking and defending.

“Reading match situations — how to attack or defend with and without the ball —is quite interesting,” Rennedy said.

East Bengal captain Alvito D’Cunha, who joined the camp on Monday night, sweated throughout the practice session on Tuesday.

If the afternoons are earmarked for players’ tryst with such match situations, in the morning it’s all about going to the gym, followed by video analysis of their own matches in the recently-held four-team tournament in Vancouver.

“The coach points out the mistakes to us and we try to rectify them during practice,” said Rennedy. Meanwhile, an indisposed Micky Fernandes was released late on Tuesday night from the camp.

He was down with typhoid. According to team manager Pradip Chowdhury, no replacement would be sought before the match against Saudi Arabia.