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For any Indian Super League (ISL) champions a slight slip-up in the Durand Cup, predominantly a curtain raiser for the Indian football season, wouldn't be the biggest concern. But when it's your neighboring arch-rivals who hadn't managed to even ruffle your feathers for four long years, the result is meant to sting.
It's no different for Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Marshaled by Juan Ferrando, they slumped to a narrow 1-0 defeat against East Bengal FC in the Kolkata derby. Despite the positivity garnered by their initial performances, the whole ambiance around the club has been muted since Saturday's result.
But they have very little time to dwell on the past setback. The Green and Maroon Brigade will face their first continental challenge on Wednesday, August 16 when they will cross paths against Machhindra FC in the AFC Cup 2023-24 playoffs,
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On that note, here are three areas the Kolkata giants will have to improve on ahead of their all-important clash.
#1 Team cohesion
Looking particularly at the Kolkata derby, the encounter where they reverted to a more identifiable senior team lineup, the Mohun Bagan SG side looked massively devoid of cohesion. Many of the players featured in the lineup looked far off the pace and blunt in phases.
Asish Rai, Anirudh Thapa, and Armando Sadiku started their first match of the season. Throughout the night, they lacked composure when playing the ball. Juan Ferrando will have to ensure that his players can function in full tandem.
The likes of Jason Cummings, Dimi Petratos, and Sadiku looked far away from their usual pedigree, which didn't allow for the fluidity in their attacking line to shine through.
#2 Control in the middle of the park
The primary problem for the Mariners in the tie against East Bengal was their inability to overwhelm the opposition midfield. Although they dominated the possession, their ability to utilize it and unlock the central passing channels was negligible. Mohun Bagan unceremoniously relied on crosses to get the better of their arch-rivals which led to their downfall.
Against Machhindra FC, who could pack a punch on the counter, the Green and Maroon Brigade will have to be careful about how they want to approach the tempo of the game. Too slow, the opposition might have too much time to adjust, and too pacey, they themselves might be vulnerable on the breaks.
If the Mariners can reignite their ability to recycle the ball at will and constantly keep the pressure pilling up, they'll become a more potent attacking unit.
#3 Frailty in defensive transitions
This has been a by-product of their inability to control the tempo, which was discussed previously. Even against the Torchbearers, the goal they conceded was down to their inability to perfect the defensive transitions. All it needed for East Bengal was a long ball and a blistering run from Nandhakumar Sekar to unlock Mohun Bagan's defense.
In the AFC Cup play-offs, the Mariners are expected to cross paths against far better-established counter-attacking systems. It will be important for the Kolkata giants to block the passing channels.
Glan Martins had an underwhelming performance in the Kolkata derby and Ferrando will not be able to afford any more slip-ups in the upcoming encounters.
