ISL 2016: Top 5 flop signings so far

#5 Michael Chopra (Kerala Blasters)

Michael Chopra was resigned by Kerala Blasters this season after he left the club in 2014. The English striker was a flop in the first edition of the ISL and he is no different this season.

Chopra has only scored one goal this season despite playing all the seven Kerala games (5 starts and 2 substitute appearances). Even though the English striker has been trying to contribute much more to his team, the 32-year-old striker's physical condition (at least aesthetically) looks poor, and might be the holding the former Newcastle man back.

The Blasters have other foreign forwards like Kervens Belfort, Duckens Nazon and Antonio German in their team, but Kerala manager Steve Coppell has preferred to play Chopra up front. The English manager has received a lot of criticism from the fans for his decision to stick with the former West Ham graduate.E

Even Indian forward Thongkhosiem Haokip, who is yet to make an appearance for Kerala, deserves a chance ahead of Chopra. It is sad to see Haokip, who scored three goals from six appearances last season, sitting on the bench when Chopra plays on the pitch.

Chopra has 'Rocky' written on the back of his jersey but he hasn't lived up to that name so far.

About the author

Dakir is a European and Indian football journalist at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 10 years. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, and currently pursuing Master’s in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University, he is a seasoned football journalist who has interviewed the likes of former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, covered the entire 2022-23 Indian Super League season of the Kerala Blasters, and has delivered a seminar at an international conference held by St. Albert's College, Ernakulam.

Thanks to his extensive academic background in journalism, Dakir understands the importance of accuracy and spends a significant amount of time researching the subject. In today’s data-driven world of football, where players are perceived as machines, he prides himself amplify the voices of the people that make football the beautiful game that it is.

He started following football in 2013, and more specifically, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, and admires Jurgen Klopp for his untouched charisma and unmatched legacy. A perpetual underdog supporter, he is a fan of under-fire Reds forward Darwin Nunez and can’t wait for him to show the world what he truly is. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s iconic “corner taken quickly” corner assist for Divock Origi in Liverpool’s 4-0 UCL semifinal win over Barcelona left a lasting impact on him.

When not writing, Dakir enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure - watching mass commercial movies.

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Edited by Staff Editor