With the Indian football getting stronger with each year, Rohan Tawde analyzes the formation of each team for the upcoming 2009 season.
Football in our country is buzzing with excitement as more and more foreign players, coaches and clubs are showing interest with each season passing by. With closure of the first transfer window last month, we have witnessed plenty of new signings and swapping. Let’s check out how the top Indian clubs stack up before the start of the new season. 
1) Churchill Brothers: The defending I League Champions have retained all their foreign players. Star Nigerian striker Odafe Okolie will again be their main man. Eduardo da Silva has entered into a pre-season agreement but with Churchill looking all set with their formation, the deal might go off the table.
In the Indian context, Chitra Sen’s departure has left a big void in the central midfield to fill but the arrival of Nascimento Silveria from Dempo may come as a blessing in disguise. The signing of the talented Durga Boro from Oil India is an excellent addition to the attacking firepower of Churchill who already has the Nigerian duo of Okolie and Chimaokwu.
2) East Bengal: The return of talismanic coach Subhash Bhowmick is a big boost for the Kolkata giants. Retaining foreign players like Yusif Yakubu and Edmilson Marques is vital along with new international signings in Jan Berger (Czech), Sebastian Omar Monesterelo (Argentina) and Lebanese defender Dayoub. The latter will lend a good solidity in the back force.
The signing of Subhash Singh from Air India and Harmanjot Singh Khabra from Sporting Clube are going to be lethal weapon in Bhowmick’s armory in the coming season. The addition of talented youngsters from the pre-season camp will give East Bengal a slight edge over others. What the ‘Red-and-Gold-Brigade’ will miss most is the experience of keeper Subrata Paul, ace striker Sunil Chhetri and defender Surkumar Singh. Moreover, Bhutia’s availability is still a major uncertainty. 
3) Dempo Sports Club: The signing of star Sunil Chhetri for 45 lakhs is undoubtedly the biggest news for Dempo Sports Club .The striker will add a new dimension and give rival defenders some sleepless nights. Though there is still an uncertainty over Nigerian striker Ranty Martin’s stay, Dempo has successfully convinced Brazilian Beto to remain with the club.
Senior players like Abhijit Mondal and Satish Kumar haven’t looked in best of their form at the back in past few seasons. Anwar Ali and Covan Lawrence are good enough to provide support in a wary-looking defence. Young gun Laxmikant Kattymani will be an interesting watch this season if given the opportunity. Dempo looks a star-studded outfit on paper but whether they show their worth on the field is another question.
4) Salgaocar Sports Club: They have a new-look line-up for 2009 with plenty of new signings. Their forward line looks strong with the attacking duo of Nigerian Chigbo Offor and Brazilian Alexandro. Salgaocar’s midfield will be their strong-hold with Chitra Sen revitalizing the unit alongside Rochus Lamhare, Lester Fernandes, Anthony Barboza, Cajetan Rebello and Manjit Singh (who looks past his prime).
The releases of Biju Kumar and Denzil Franco have left the wings in a spot of bother. Despite all this, Salgaocar’s biggest catch this season is of Brazilian Luciano Sabroza from Sporting Clube as the defender is a rock at the back.
5) Sporting Clube De Goa: The buying of Nigerian Michael Tayo from Air India will help the strike force up front but as it has been always, Sporting Clube will again depend upon the local talent to deliver the goods. The performances of youngsters Nicholas Rodrigues, Elvino Fernandes, Fulganco Cardozo, Agnelo Colaco and Angelo D’Souza would be interesting to watch as they would look to seal a first-team place.
Veterans need to up their performance in 2009 if the club needs to make it big. Sporting always look like running out of steam in the end part of every season. May be the focus on mobility and swift counter-attacks could blossom their journey in Indian football this time around. 
6) Mohun Bagan: The ‘Mariners’ are again a blend of youth and experience with the foreign flavour of Jose Barreto, Marcos Pereira and Chidi Edeh strengthening the outfit. The addition of Indian players like Micky Fernandez, Riston Rodrigues and Genius Zenith will make the midfield a force to reckon. The experience of veteran Subho Kumar will be invaluable for Bagan in the absence of Manju and Deepak Mondal, who will be busy with the Indian camps.
The departure of Bhaichung Bhutia to East Bengal will leave perpetual effect on the team as they still lack a quality goal-scorer up front. The Green-and-Maroon brigade will look for some revival in 2009 but it looks highly unlikely under their current status.
7) Air-India: The ‘Pilots’ have banked on Indian talent yet again for 2009 than foreigners as there are no new international signings. Their defence and midfield is one to watch out this season as it boasts of new names like Khelemba, Loyi and James Singh. The loss of striker Subhash Singh won’t be a major setback as Air-India have brought in newcomer Mohammed Nabeel from Karnataka as cover. Midfielder Michael Tayo’s departure to Sporting would definitely make a difference to the Air-India side.
8) Mahindra United: The signing of Subair Muritala Ali is the only new foreign addition to their squad this season. The midfield is undoubtedly their biggest strength with playmaker Douhou Pierre, Steven Dias, K Ajayan and Sukhwinder Singh being one of the best available.
The back force looks formidable too with the inclusion of Subhojit Mukherjee under the bar, and the signings of defenders Denzil Franco and K Aseem from Salgaocar and Mumbai FC respectively. The forward line-up looks powerless just like last season and the onus is on Subair to poach some goals.
9) JCT: The form of their foreign players will be crucial for JCT. The signing of Nigerian Pen will ignite some lost spark in the midfield. Banking on youth would be a high-risk formula for them as they don’t want a repeat performance from last season. Most of the squad is retained by JCT except for the departure of Anwar Ali.
The return of Sunil Kumar back at the club is good news as the experienced campaigner can contribute well to the defensive line-up. Sarabjeet Singh would be one to watch out in the back as the Punjabi defender would be an excellent combo alongside Sunil Kumar. The forward-line looks a bit fragile with JCT still looking out for skilled strikers.
10) Pune FC: This particular club has been on a spending spree with buying of several players for the 2009 season. Their defence would be one of the strongest in the League with Subrata Paul standing between posts. The combination of Nigerian Chika Wali along with new signings Sunil Kumar and Selwyn Fernandes will give the opponents something to think about. Midfield looks compact too with S Venkatesh accompanied by wingers like Anees K and Kutty Mani who will keep the ball in check. All they lack is someone who can hit the back of the net.
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... a very nicely done details bout each team.. but churchill has been churchiil... all because of odafe... there r times when only he is in action and the rest are lost.... he is the STAR of the team.... |
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