Failure to win has led to frustration in Indian Super League

Action from the ISL-2 match between Atletico de Kolkata and Pune City in Kolkata on Friday. The hosts won 4-1 to retain top place in the league table. — Asian Age

Unsettled teams have struggled in the 2nd Hero Indian Super League. Last season’s runners-up Kerala Blasters parted ways with coach Peter Taylor (England) midway through the league stage. Replacement Terry Phelan could not work wonders and Blasters, last in the eight-team league, are on the brink of elimination with just 12 points from 12 matches.

Blasters also had the misfortune of being unable to utilise the services of their injured marquee player, 2010 Spanish World Cup winner Carlos Marchena. His experience in defence is being missed. Another fancied player, striker Sanchez Watt, also got injured. There is also dissension within the squad as defender Marcus Williams from Scunthorpe United (England) has also returned home this week.

Similarly Mumbai City FC parted ways with Spanish assistant coach Oscar Bruzon in early November and have suffered. Mumbai City are seventh with 13 points from 12 matches. The slump started when Oscar left. Since then in three matches in November they have drawn twice, scored just one goal and suffered the ignominy of a 0-7 rout by FC Goa, the largest margin of defeat in the ISL.

Failure to win has led to frustration. Marquee player cum coach Nicolas Anelka has blamed the club officials for not selecting a balanced squad. He categorically stated that there were no fighters in his team and that he would not return next season.

Known as the Blue Devils, Mumbai City’s problems with their marquee signings continues. Last year Freddy Ljunberg was unfit and barely played. Anelka also says he is not yet match fit. Lack of harmony in Mumbai City FC was evident when key Brazilian midfielder Andre Moritz, their top-scorer last season left in October itself.

Oscar’s mysterious departure added to Mumbai’s slump. Efforts should have been made to retain him. He is an experienced coach and a good motivator unlike Anelka who is new to coaching.

Also he knows Indian players well, having coached Sporting Clube de Goa in the 6th and 7th I-League. When he joined SCG in December 2012, they were languishing at the bottom of the table. He rejuvenated the team and took them to a respectable sixth position, with nine wins. Next season they came fifth, on a shoestring budget.

Also Oscar’s tactics of using Sunil Chhetri as a ‘fox in the box’ striker with Sony Norde providing thrust on the left was clicking.

India’s skipper was at one time top-scorer in the ISL with six goals. Anelka changed Chhetri’s position and used him on the left flank where he is not so effective. With Norde also absent for two matches due to Haiti’s World Cup qualifiers, the thrust was missing in attack.

In October Mumbai City FC, with three wins on the trot were touted as potential semi-finalists and were amongst the table toppers. In November, their winning streak ended and their home matches are over. Their remaining away matches are against Chennaiyan FC and table toppers Atletico de Kolkata. As Mumbai City FC are yet to win an away match their chances of progressing to the semi-finals are slim.