ISL 2018-19: 3 Managers who need to get their act together

#2 Jorge Costa

Mumbai City FC's manager Jorge Costa [Image: ISL]

Jorge Costa is not a known face in the ISL. This is his first stint in India as a coach and he needs more time to adapt to the league. But he is surely a tactical coach and knows very well how to win a game.

It is the players who let him down. Apart from Lucian Goian, other Mumbai City FC players have not performed as per their potential. Despite going down to Jamshedpur in their first match, Mumbai played better football. They have in fact scored twice, only to be denied by the off-side rule. Their midfield looked strong.

But in the next game, all hell broke loose. The same players performed poorly. Pranjal Bhumij scored a late equaliser against Kerala Blasters to bring home at least a point for his team.

Mumbai defenders have performed well, but questions remain over their midfielders’ poor outing. Modou Sougou has disappointed while Paulo Machado didn’t look in his usual shape. The only exception was Raynier Fernandes, who controlled the ball easily and made life tough for his opponents. Costa should introduce Matias Mirabaje in starting line-up to create more danger in the opponent’s half. With his experience, Mirabaje can be useful in tough conditions.

Also, he should tell Rafael Bastos to take more responsibility and not squander chances in front of the goal. He should give Pranjal more game time.