ISL 2017: 5 reasons why Jamshedpur FC can win the title

The Indian Super League (ISL) has expanded from eight to 10 teams with two new teams added to the fray, with Jamshedpur FC and Bengaluru FC being the new entries.

Jamshedpur FC, over the last few months, have picked their team smartly and are definitely the prime contenders to reach the semifinals.

In this article, we look the team and find out five reasons why they can win the competition!

---

#1 Experienced manager

Steve Coppell proved his worth in the last ISL, taking an unfancied Kerala Blasters to the final, only to lose it on penalties. He has a proven pedigree, having led Reading F.C to eighth place in the 2007-08 Premier League, winning the Manager of the Year award for the second season in succession.

In the season prior to that, Coppell's Reading had set a new English league record for the most number of points won in a season, with 106 total points. Coppell organizes his team well and they are hard to break down defensively. He is also an astute man manager who gets the best out of his players.

#2 Solid in defence

Anas Edathodika

Jamshedpur’s defence comprises of arguably India’s best centre back in the form of Anas Edathodika. Anas is an aggressive defender with fine anticipation, which helps him to sniff out opposition attacks.

They also have experienced Tiri and Andre Bikey to shore up their defence. Their presence means they can switch formations effectively from a back four to a back three. Robin Gurung is another solid player, which makes Jamshedpur’s defence one of the strongest in ISL 2017.

#3 Subrata Paul in goal

Subrata Pal

The 'Spider Man' is one of India’s best goalkeeper and has kept the most clean sheets by an Indian keeper in the ISL in the last three seasons. He has won 66 caps for India, which is the most by an Indian goalkeeper, highlighting his class and reliability.

Subrata Paul possesses great reflexes, anticipation and is also good in one-on-one situations. His presence will surely make Jamshedpur one of the strongest defensive teams in ISL 2017.

#4 Complete midfield unit

Mehtab Hossain

Jamshedpur possess arguably the most complete midfield unit of ISL 2017. Mehtab Hossain, who was one of the best Indian midfielders last season, is good in the tackle, reads the game superbly to stop opposition attacks and also builds play from the deep effectively.

Souvik Chakrabarti also shone in ISL 2016 impressing with his energy, tackling and versatility, and he played many matches from the full-back position despite being a midfielder. Memo and Trindade also impressed in ISL 2016 with their technique and range of passing. The quartet complements each other perfectly and provides Coppell with a variety of tactical options.

#5 Sameehg Doutie - the difference maker

Sameehg Doutie

South African winger Sameehg Doutie is a player who has the ability to single-handedly win matches for his team. The former ATK winger possesses serious pace, dribbling ability and decent crossing, which he combines to a devastating effect. He is a also versatile player and can operate on both the flanks.

The former Ajax Cape Town player's creativity and vision can be highlighted by the fact that he has provided 14 assists so far, the most by any player in ISL. With Doutie in Jamshedpur’s ranks backed by a strong midfield, they will be confident of cutting through any defence.