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Just two points from their opening two matches. Not the ideal start that Mohun Bagan would’ve hoped for before the start of the I-League season.
Being one of the main contenders for the title, something is not right for the Kolkata outfit at this moment and they need to do few twists and turns to revive their campaign and challenge for the I-League title.
The green and maroons faced Gokulam Kerala FC in their first match of this season. Mohun Bagan had never won against the Kozhikode-based club in the previous two meetings.
They started on attacking note and gave their opponents a run for their money. Eventually, they took the lead when Henry Kisekka scored against his former club.
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The situation changed in the second half as Gokulam made a brilliant turnaround and Rajesh Soosainayagam made life hell for Mohun Bagan defenders.
He found an able partner in Arjun Jayaraj. Under immense pressure, Mohun Bagan conceded an own goal and never got back into the game.
Mohun Bagan again tried to dominate right from the start against Aizawl FC but conceded a goal against the run of play.
They got some breather when Kimkima equalized in the first half. Looking for more goals, coach Sankarlal Chakroborty introduced Sony Norde and the Haitian deservedly got his team the lead through some individual brilliance.
However, the green and maroon side couldn’t come with full points as David Lalrinmuana scored from a direct free-kick in the dying moments.
Mohun Bagan will face Indian Arrows in their next game and will travel to Srinagar to play another tough match against Real Kashmir. But before their tough tests, they need to look at certain areas which can effectively revive their campaign:
#3 Strikers need to find their scoring boots
Mohun Bagan probably have the best-attacking line-up among all the I-League teams. In Dipanda Dicka and Henry Kisekka, Mohun Bagan has two prolific goal-getters.
Azharuddin Mallik, who is also touted as another talented youngster, can be useful during tough moments.
But all of them failed to impress so far. Kisekka may have got one goal against his former team, but considering the number of chances he got, he could’ve easily increased his tally.
In his last year with Gokulam Kerala FC, Kisekka caught everyone’s eye with his ability to convert goals in each chance.
He scored against East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and other big teams. He was also in form in the Calcutta Football League but suddenly there’s been a drop in his concentration.
But it is Dicka’s off-form that raised many eyebrows. Dicka was in sublime form couple of months ago, having found the back of the net regularly.
He scored five goals in the CFL to help his team conquer the title. However, in the I-League, he was wasteful in the first two matches.
He was kept under check against Gokulam Kerala FC but he could’ve easily managed a hat-trick against Aizawl. Only he could do was to score a goal which was disallowed for offside.
The strikers may be the reason the former I-League champions are lacking behind. But once they find their form, it would be tough to resist them from scoring goals.
#2 Defenders need to take more responsibility
It would be safe to say that the defenders let Mohun Bagan down in both their matches. Mohun Bagan scored three goals but conceded the same number of goals due to the poor performance of their defenders, mainly fullbacks Arijit Bagui and Abhishek Ambekar.
Mohun Bagan were dominating in the game against Gokulam but once Rajesh came into the picture, all hell broke loose.
Abhishek Ambekar couldn’t keep with the pace of the Gokulam winger and Rajesh had no problem in entering the 18-yard box.
He easily dribbled his way past Abhishek a couple of times, leaving the defender bamboozled. Arjun was also giving Arijit Bagui a run for his money.
Failed to learn from their mistake, green and maroon defenders allowed too much space to Aizawl players in their own half.
When Lalkhawpuimawia got the ball from Albert, his back was against Mohun Bagan goal. He turned superbly, took a couple of steps before unleashing a shot.
Arijit Bagui stood near Lalkhawpuimawia and considering the time latter took before the shot, the Mohun Bagan defender could’ve easily challenged him for a tackle.
Instead, he tried to intercept the shot and failed miserably as the ball deflected off his leg and entered the goal, sending custodian Sankar Roy in the wrong direction.
Both Arijit and Abhishek made a name for them and are the best options available. But they should take more responsibility in terms of defending.
Both of them overlap continuously to help the strikers, but they have to do their defensive duties too.
They should not allow their opponent too much space on the flanks and mark them carefully. Centre-back Eze Kignsley and Kimkima have had better outings so far but also have to show the same mentality.
#1 Should make Sony Norde fully fit as soon as possible
Sony Norde, in his first press conference for Mohun Bagan said he is ready to play 120 minutes if the coach asks him to do so. However, on the field, his performance did not do any justice to his words.
Though he scored a goal and created a couple of chances, he struggled too.
Mohun Bagan may have Dicka, Kisekka or Yuta Kinowaki in their team. But the heart of the squad is definitely Sony Norde.
The Haitian is playing his fifth season for the club and has already become a legend. The fans chanted his name upon his introduction against Aizawl FC and Norde fulfilled their dream after scoring within five minutes.
The expectation will now get bigger. Fans will be hoping to see Norde taking up the role of a leader as he was in the past four seasons.
For Mohun Bagan to challenge for the title, Norde needs to perform better. And for that, he needs to be fully fit.
Right now, Norde isn’t in a position to play for the whole match. The club should deal with his fitness more carefully so that he doesn't end up being overused.
Sankarlal, at least for the next few games, should introduce Norde as a substitute before the Derby against arch-rivals East Bengal.
If Norde keeps himself fit throughout the season, fans can seriously dream for another I-League title.
