'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Build the team around Mehtab Hossain
Mehtab Hossain has become indispensable for East Bengal
Trending
The four foreigners will be the key for East Bengal, especially the two strikers Edeh Chidi and James Moga. But if Falopa is looking for a leader, then he doesn’t have to look beyond newly-appointed club captain Mehtab Hossain. The midfield general has gone from strength to strength after joining East Bengal in 2007 and has become a key figure for the Indian national team also. Although he wasn’t the captain in the last three years, Mehtab was the true leader of Trevor Morgan’s East Bengal and Falopa should try to maintain that.
Falopa will bring in some new ideas and changes in personnel also but one player who should be the first name on his team sheet is Mehtab. The 27-year-old could be off to Spain for a training-cum-trial stint but he had a similar experience last year in Scotland and returned as a better player so Falopa would be hoping for the same.
The Brazilian also has a few more experienced reliable players in Harmanjot Singh Khabra, Saumik Dey and Uga Okpara so it’s fair to say that Falopa already has the core of the team ready and he should aim to retain that with Mehtab as the leader.
