Everything that could go wrong for Bengaluru FC has already gone wrong this season. After a stellar start that saw the Blues win their first three games at home, Albert Roca’s side have now suffered three losses and a draw. Although the narrow loss against Jordanian champions Al-Wehdat in the qualifying round of the AFC Champions League may have been predictable looking at the difference in quality between the two sides, their I-League form is Bengaluru’s biggest worry.
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East Bengal and Churchill Brothers beat the defending champions 2-1 – both games in which Bengaluru had taken the lead. Against DSK Shivajians, they were 2-0 down before a late comeback saw them claim their first point in three games. It was two points dropped rather than a point won in the bigger scheme of things and the club have slipped from top spot to fifth.
Even if they win their game in hand, Roca’s side will still be six points behind East Bengal. Mohun Bagan will join their derby rivals at the top if they win their game in hand too, leaving Bengaluru with a huge task on hand to reel in the two Kolkata giants.
So what exactly is wrong with the side?
Opponents have figured out how to counter Bengaluru
The theme for opponents playing Bengaluru was evident as soon as the season started. Although the Blues had the advantage of playing their first three games at home, they did struggle to break down opponents before opening the scoring.
Shillong Lajong, Chennai City and Mumbai FC knew they were never going to out-pass their opponents. Roca had instilled a conservative possession game after he took over from Ashley Westwood and his 3-4-3 formation at home allowed Bengaluru to circulate the ball well, looking for any chinks in the opponents’ defence.
As a result, visiting teams sat back and absorbed pressure, looking to counter-attack at the first opportunity. All three teams would have been happy to come away from the Kanteerava Stadium with just a point and camped in their own half, leaving a lone striker like Shillong’s Fabio Pena or Chennai’s aptly named Marcos ‘Tank’ to feed on scraps. Amrinder Singh almost looked bored in goal, only called upon for the odd save from hopeful long-range efforts.
But when they played away, it was a different scenario. Although East Bengal did sit back at the Barasat Stadium, they had their strikers Willis Plaza and Robin Singh playing on the shoulder of Bengaluru’s high line.
The problem with Roca’s high line was that both full-backs Harmanjot Khabra and Sena Ralte had been pushed up so far forward (often at the same time) that the two centre-backs John Johnson and Juan Antonio had to spread out wide to cover the space behind the full-backs. With two strikers looking to make runs in behind, pace became the key.
While that has been their strategy when shifting to three at the back, it was ineffective against physically dominant strikers as the auxiliary centre-back who stepped in was midfielder Cameron Watson. The Australian is not a strong tackler and was woefully inferior in the aerial duels when East Bengal bypassed the midfield and went long. As a result, the team in Red & Gold had umpteen chances to score and it was only Plaza’s profligacy that actually kept the scoreline respectable.
Also read: Five Talking points from I-League Round 7
Bengaluru struggling to create chances
If the Blues are struggling at the back, their performances up front give Roca and his staff another headache to deal with. After scoring eight goals in three games at home, the Blues have only scored half that tally in the three away games in the league.
The underlying problem is the lack of service for the attacking trio leading the line. CK Vineeth is among the leading goalscorers in the I-League but time and again he cuts a lone figure in the box with defenders easily marking him out of the game.
Last season saw players across the line contributing to goals. Udanta Singh was the Man of the Match in the season opener against Shillong but he has been quiet ever since. Sunil Chhetri had to wait four games before he opened his account – from the penalty spot against Churchill Brothers. However, he seems to have found his form with a stunning goal against DSK Shivajians that sparked the Blues’ comeback.
But even Chhetri has been left frustrated with the lack of touches he gets on the ball; so much so that he now drops deep as much as possible just to have the ball at his feet. And his frustration has boiled over with a couple of 35-yard shots on goal due to the lack of movement of players around him.
Eugeneson Lyngdoh, the two-time I-League Midfielder of the Year, has had a bizarre season so far. The Shillong-born midfielder has failed to make his mark and a lack of cohesion with Cameron Watson and Lenny Rodrigues has seen the Blues lose out on the midfield battle. With teams crowding out the midfield, sometimes with five players, it has seen the defenders going long to find their forwards.
Khabra and Ralte were supposed to add bodies to the midfield and spread the game but with one eye on tracking back in case of loss of possession, there isn’t much interplay with the midfielders. And, as mentioned earlier, when the full-backs push up, Bengaluru lose another player in midfield as Watson drops back into the defensive line. It’s no wonder then that Lyngdoh has perennially had two to three bodies around him, thereby cutting the main passing outlet for the defenders.
What next for Roca?
One of the main factors contributing to the club’s poor form has been Roca’s rotation policy. With players coming in and out of the starting lineup on a regular basis, they are still experimenting with various combinations. Of course, nobody is saying he should not be rotating so much – what with I-League and AFC games to be played in a congested calendar.
However, communication on the field is one thing that he needs to work on. Amrinder and Keegan Pereira were not on the same page when Holicharan Narzary sneaked in and squeezed the ball past both to score for DSK Shivajians.
Promising attacking moves have broken down due to a lack of telepathic understanding and arguments on the pitch when the chips are down will not help. The signing and subsequent loaning out of Roby Norales to second division side Ozone FC also begs the question; were Bengaluru really prepared for this season?
The next game is at home against Minerva Punjab and Roca has the opportunity to bring their challenge back on track with a win against the minnows. He then has a couple of games to find solutions before their back-to-back clashes against Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.
Roca should look to get Bengaluru back in the title race before the AFC Cup group stage games begin in March. But as of now, the title is out of their hands and they will have to depend on the two Kolkata sides dropping points for the Blues to stay in the hunt.
