Here is a look at the narratives that dominated the week in the Indian Super League 2021-22 and the implications they could have moving forward.
Another week of the Indian Super League has rattled along, with the matches providing football fans several talking points. The biggest was perhaps Juan Ferrando’s ideal start to life at ATK Mohun Bagan, with the Kerala Blasters’ watershed victory against Chennaiyin FC not far behind.
Hyderabad FC, FC Goa and NorthEast United FC were held to stalemates, whereas Bengaluru FC and SC East Bengal’s search for three points stretched into another game-week. Jamshedpur FC weren’t shabby either and continued their ascent into the upper echelons of the ISL points table.
Without further ado, here is a look at the narratives that dominated the week and the implications they could have moving forward.
Juan Ferrando gets off to the perfect start but old ailments remain for ATK Mohun Bagan
For much of the past week, Juan Ferrando’s mid-season departure to ATK Mohun Bagan has dominated the back pages. The Spaniard, who seemed committed to the FC Goa cause, jumped ship when the Mariners came calling, meaning that the expectations, which had already grown after their poor start, were magnified exponentially.
To that end, a victory against NorthEast United FC was just what Ferrando would’ve wanted. Not just because it enabled the Mariners to win for the first time since 27 November, but also because it would’ve injected some belief into the dressing room.
Throughout the game, the Mariners showcased composure on the ball and weren’t reluctant to pass it laterally – something that hardly happened under the previous manager. They also controlled the tempo of the game and looked a lot more composed in possession than they’ve done this season.
They had a 79% pass success rate, which incidentally, was the highest they have mustered since their 3-0 victory against SC East Bengal in November. As far as possession is concerned, their 59% share against the Highlanders was their second-best this term.
However, there were also situations where they struggled defensively, highlighting that not a lot has changed since Antonio Habas’ departure. They conceded another set-piece goal (that too in the 2nd minute) and let in 17 shots.
Moreover, Ferrando isn’t the kind of manager who would drill defensive compactness into his players as Habas would’ve done, meaning that this trend could still continue.
Fortunately, though, there have been indications that they’ll use the ball better henceforth. And, after all the drama surrounding their managerial changes, that is something to cling on to.
Bartholomew Ogbeche can’t do everything on his own
In the early stages of the 2021-22 season, it seemed that Ogbeche’s presence would cast Hyderabad FC as genuine title contenders. Not a lot has changed on that front, with the striker scoring six goals (six out of the 12 they’ve scored) and propelling the Nizams into the top four of the points table. However, that has perhaps made the Nizams too reliant on Ogbeche.
Against SC East Bengal – a team that had conceded 17 goals in seven previous matches, the Nizams looked devoid of ideas. While they were perhaps hamstrung, owing to Asish Rai’s absence, it was still a display that didn’t inspire a lot of confidence.
They enjoyed 67% of possession and sprayed 460 passes at an accuracy of 78%. Yet, they could only fashion five shots on target and 13 shots in total. In fact, the goal that they scored also came about due to an elementary error by Raju Gaikwad, hinting that the Nizams haven’t really been creating many clear-cut chances.
Apart from that, there was a general sluggishness to their tempo. Their midfield lacked invention and whenever the ball was pinged to the wider players, they almost always cut inside and were unable to stretch the play. Ogbeche tried to mask these shortcomings by keeping the defenders occupied but it kept sticking out as the game progressed.
Fortunately for Hyderabad FC, their defensive shape seems in order. As things stand, they’ve conceded the least numbers of goals (7) and against SC East Bengal, they portrayed that they can hold their own even with Juanan sitting on the bench.
Rather amazingly, Hyderabad FC have, despite their frugal defensive record, only kept a solitary clean sheet, meaning that they aren’t shutting teams out – something that has directly contributed to three draws out of seven.
The hallmark of top teams is that they don’t lose when they aren’t playing well, often eking out stalemates from hopeless situations. However, these sides also have an ability to click into gear instantly.
So far, though, that seems too dependent on Ogbeche firing his scoring boots. And, it would be absurd for the Nizams to expect the striker to keep doing everything on his own.
Victory remains elusive for Bengaluru FC and SC East Bengal
20th November, 2021 and 7th February, 2021 might seem ordinary dates for a major chunk of the population. For Bengaluru FC and SC East Bengal, though, these depict when they last won a game in the ISL, respectively.
In terms of matches, it has been seven fixtures since the Blues have tasted victory, whereas SC East Bengal haven’t bagged three points in their last 12 encounters. So, you can probably understand why both sets of fans are getting twitchy.
More alarmingly, there have hardly been any signs hinting that they will be able to turn a corner. Against Hyderabad FC, SC East Bengal looked a lot more organized than they usually do. They stuck to a game-plan and it worked for large swathes of the game too.
Yet, their lack of quality and propensity to commit elementary errors meant that they only shared the spoils, despite putting together one of their better performances.
Bengaluru FC, on the other hand, struggled for rhythm against Jamshedpur FC. They pinged the ball around, enjoyed 64% possession and attempted 361 passes. But they could only muster nine shots, with two of them hitting the target.
Throughout the season, Bengaluru FC have been pretty decent when it comes to retaining possession. In fact, they have made the second most number of passes (2934) this season.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t directly translated into goals, owing to several factors, which include an uninventive midfield, a lack of cohesion in the final third and a misfiring Sunil Chhetri.
For SC East Bengal, the problems are similar. Their attack continues to depend on moments of individual brilliance and their defence, at the cost of sounding like a broken record, always seems on the verge of a capitulation.
A couple of weeks ago, we questioned when and how Bengaluru FC and SC East Bengal’s next win was going to come about. An answer and of course, three points, remain elusive.
FC Goa and Odisha FC can be good but show they can be sloppy too
FC Goa’s clash against Odisha FC was the archetypal game of two halves. The Gaurs dominated the first half, pushed and probed for an opening and were eventually rewarded when Ivan Gonzalez stabbed home from close range.
Throughout that period, FC Goa attacked with the kind of verve that was missing at the start of the season, with many even wondering if they were the club that had to change coaches mid-way.
Post the break, though, they inexplicably lifted their foot off the accelerator and allowed the Juggernauts to get back into the game. While Odisha FC perhaps deserved the draw, owing to their performance, there was a sense of inevitability that FC Goa would concede, especially once their defensive ship began creaking.
Speaking of Odisha FC, they still have players capable of single-handedly winning them games of football. Against the Gaurs, Jonathas made a nuisance of himself, pressured the FC Goa defenders and eventually forced mistakes. Javi Hernandez also looked sharp, although he didn’t directly contribute to the goal they scored.
In between, though, there were patches where they accorded FC Goa’s midfielders too much space in the middle third. They also allowed the Gaurs to enjoy 59% possession and a team with greater urgency, might have punished the Juggernauts.
For much of this season, FC Goa and Odisha FC have charted opposite trajectories. The Juggernauts began like a house on fire only to be pegged back post their extraordinary victory against SC East Bengal. The Gaurs, on the other hand, have only started stitching together a few points in the past couple of weeks.
Now, though, it seems that both are set to tread on a similar path – a path where they show glimpses of how good they can be but also illustrate that a shabby streak is not too far away.
Jamshedpur FC slightly ahead of Kerala Blasters in top four race
Both came into their clash flying high on confidence. Though Jamshedpur FC only managed a draw against Bengaluru FC, they had, prior to it, strung together three victories in their six most recent games. Kerala Blasters, on the other hand, had sparkled their way to wins against Chennaiyin FC and Mumbai City FC.
Thus, when their encounter ended in a 1-1 logjam, many fans felt that it was a dampener. On closer inspection, though, this contest provided more evidence on why both teams find themselves in the top four and seem primed to continue that run.
The Blasters only had six shots on goal against the Red Miners. However, there were patches where their attacking quartet, namely Adrian Luna, Alvaro Vazquez, Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Sahal Abdul Samad combined promisingly. Speaking of Sahal, the midfielder also bagged his third goal in as many games.
Jamshedpur FC, on the other hand, attacked vigorously, with Greg Stewart orchestrating everything good they did. Their youngsters weren’t bad either, with Jitendra Singh coming through unscathed in a tight and congested midfield.
The only aspect where the Red Miners were significantly better than the Blasters was the speed at which they operated. Everything Owen Coyle’s men did was at more than a hundred miles per hour and that is something almost all teams in the ISL don’t like playing against. It caused the Kerala Blasters plenty of grievance too.
While it could prove to be a nice learning curve for the Kochi-based franchise, there is no denying that Jamshedpur FC are perhaps the best team in the league when it comes to playing at such a high tempo.
According to the points table, Jamshedpur FC and Kerala Blasters are deadlocked. Both have accumulated 13 points in eight games and are only separated by goal difference.
However, when their paths crossed, it became clear that the Red Miners are probably a smidgen ahead of the Blasters, in terms of their top four credentials.
A lot can still change. But as the tournament enters its middle phase, there is enough to hint that this could be the season where both quench their semi-final thirst.
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