It was a shock defeat for Kingfisher East Bengal against minnows Chennai City FC in the 14th round of the I-League 2016-17. The Red and Golds were poor in their passing and lacked teeth in the attacking third.
This was their 3rd defeat in the season, landing a massive blow to their title prospects. As the tournament reaches its business end, it is critical for the Calcutta giants to sort out their miseries quickly.
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We take a look at five things which East Bengal must ensure in order to hope for their maiden I-League trophy.
#5 Robin Singh needs to play a central role more often
When the 26-year old was signed by his former club, expectations were sky high from the Noida boy. But time and again, the brawny striker has found himself out of position with Trevor Morgan deploying him in the channels.
Robin Singh does not have the pace and guile to beat full-backs and lacks the nimble footwork that is required of wingers. Using him upfront in a more central role would yield better dividends as he has the physique to hold the oncoming defenders.
#4 Willis Plaza isn’t the same goalscorer post his injury
The Trinidad and Tobago international had set Indian football on fire and announced his arrival with a sublime rainbow flick in his first match. Since then he has gone on to establish himself as the leading goal scorer for the Red and Golds.
But an injury in the middle of the season put the striker out of action for a few weeks. Currently, the 29-year old has recovered and is burdened with the pressure to score goals for his side. But he has been unable to replicate his magical displays against strong defensive units.
Plaza has retained his position as the top goal scorer but the flair in his game has been missing. With the ball at his feet, Plaza must look to restore his deft touches that outwitted defenders earlier in the season.
#3 4-4-2 formation is doing no good to the Red and Golds
Before the season started, a host of wingers, which included Romeo Fernandes, Jackichand Singh, Bikash Jairu, Abinash Ruidas, Nikhil Poojary were part of the East Bengal squad and the East Bengal manager had options aplenty. However, as the season progressed, barring Nikhil, none of the other have got a regular start under Morgan.
Morgan replied curtly when asked about his use of wingers and said that wingers do not find a position in his style of football. This could suggest a discord between the board level and the coach as they do not seem to be on the same page vis-à-vis squad formation.
Indian nationals like Jackichand Singh and Bikash Jairu have not found a regular starting place this season. Romeo has been used sparingly which has not allowed the Goan player to express his full potential. In a midfield heavy system, star signing Rowlin Borges has not found his rhythm so far. Consequently, it has been either Lalrindika Ralte or Mohammed Rafique who has been partnering Mehtab Hossain in the central midfield.
#2 Goalkeeper TP Rehenesh needs to up his game by several notches
The towering presence of Ivan Bukenya has so far ensured a comfortable time for the diminutive East Bengal custodian TP Rehenesh. But the latter’s error prone ways proved too costly for his side as he let in two easy goals against Chennai City FC.
The 24-year old could not hold on to an innocuous long-range effort and let in the ball through his legs. A similar parry allowed the second goal as the rebound from another shot was put in the net by Chennai forward Prasant Karuthadathkuni in the dying moments of the game.
These kinds of lapses will prove costly in a league which consists of only 18 rounds. Each match counts and a single howler can change the prospects altogether.
#1 Change the long ball strategy
East Bengal boasts of a tall attacking trio in the form of Wedson Anselme, Robin Singh and Willis Plaza. As a result, the coach had opted for the most plausible strategy to exploit the height of his forwards.
The strategy seems to be to use direct play and long balls are aimed at the forwards on a regular basis to little or no avail. This strategy has been made redundant as the opposition have been up to the task and nullified the threat. Consequently, it is time Morgan resorts to a wing based attack to open the goalmouth of the opposition.
The coach needs to exploit the pacey wingers in the East Bengal squad. A top heavy approach has been well read by the rival teams and has not produced much results. It is critical for the players to exploit the weaknesses of the opponents instead of allowing them to dictate the game.
