With 18 of the 25 goals in the Kolkata League coming from the strike duo - Theodore Sunday and Mike Okoro, it will be fair to say that Mohammedan are heavily dependant on the pair. But are the Black and Whites only about the two foreigners? Goal.com investigates…
One point from the first three games is bad form but having said that Mohammedan are a team that are heavily dependent on home results and with 13 out of their remaining 19 games scheduled to be held in Kolkata, they would feel relatively easy.
But if we take the Kolkata League as an example, we can say that Mohammedan play well when the partnership of Theo and Okoro gets going. Everywhere in the world scoring goals is important both for surviving and challenging in a league. For Mohammedan survival will be the first priority and for that scoring goals will be an important issue.
We have seen already in the I-League that if the opposition stops the Mohammedan duo, the goals dry up for the Black and Whites. The other departments also don’t look that strong for Mohammedan and an injury to any one of the two strikers would be a serious blow as they lack the depth in the squad.
Defense
The defense lacks the experience and are error prone. Young Sheikh Azim did very well in the Kolkata League but fitness is a major issue for him. Former India U-19 defender Rajib Ghosh has the potential to be a good player but could struggle against the other marksmen of the I-League. Mir Farooq Haider is the only experienced defender in the team but even he lacks the consistency and is unlikely to complete ninety minutes week in week out.
In Naseem Akhtar they have an experienced shot stopper but he is weak in dealing with crosses and set pieces and is no longer the player that he used to be. As Mohammedan largely depend on counter attacks it’s very important that their defenders perform more consistently in the upcoming games.
Midfield
This is another department where Mohammedan look lightweight. The signing of Adebayo has given them a bit more quality in midfield but they do lack the strength in depth in this area. The performances of veteran Roque Barreto will be vital for their midfield and there is considerable potential in young players like Sovan Chakraborty,Lalchuanawma but it remains to be seen whether they can perform week in week out.
Satyajit Bose and Jyothi Kumar did well in the local league but the I-League is a different ball game altogether. The fact that Shabbir Ali plays three genuine midfielders suggests that he has complete faith in his medios but they would have their task cut out.
Attack
Other than the foreign duo of Theo and Okoro, Mohammedan has two young strikers in Vimal Pariyar and Gautam Thakur. Pariyar, former East Bengal player has shown glimpses of his talent in the Kolkata League but it would be tough for him to score or create goals in the I-League.
Thakur is still in the early days of his career and it won’t be easy for him to make an impression from the bench. It is true that Theo, sometimes, is found wanting and Okoro isn’t the player he used to be at East Bengal.
But for Mohammedan to survive the duo of Theo & Okoro have to be at their best for the entire season and also stay injury free.
Source:Goal.com
One point from the first three games is bad form but having said that Mohammedan are a team that are heavily dependent on home results and with 13 out of their remaining 19 games scheduled to be held in Kolkata, they would feel relatively easy.
But if we take the Kolkata League as an example, we can say that Mohammedan play well when the partnership of Theo and Okoro gets going. Everywhere in the world scoring goals is important both for surviving and challenging in a league. For Mohammedan survival will be the first priority and for that scoring goals will be an important issue.
We have seen already in the I-League that if the opposition stops the Mohammedan duo, the goals dry up for the Black and Whites. The other departments also don’t look that strong for Mohammedan and an injury to any one of the two strikers would be a serious blow as they lack the depth in the squad.
Defense
The defense lacks the experience and are error prone. Young Sheikh Azim did very well in the Kolkata League but fitness is a major issue for him. Former India U-19 defender Rajib Ghosh has the potential to be a good player but could struggle against the other marksmen of the I-League. Mir Farooq Haider is the only experienced defender in the team but even he lacks the consistency and is unlikely to complete ninety minutes week in week out.
In Naseem Akhtar they have an experienced shot stopper but he is weak in dealing with crosses and set pieces and is no longer the player that he used to be. As Mohammedan largely depend on counter attacks it’s very important that their defenders perform more consistently in the upcoming games.
Midfield
This is another department where Mohammedan look lightweight. The signing of Adebayo has given them a bit more quality in midfield but they do lack the strength in depth in this area. The performances of veteran Roque Barreto will be vital for their midfield and there is considerable potential in young players like Sovan Chakraborty,Lalchuanawma but it remains to be seen whether they can perform week in week out.
Satyajit Bose and Jyothi Kumar did well in the local league but the I-League is a different ball game altogether. The fact that Shabbir Ali plays three genuine midfielders suggests that he has complete faith in his medios but they would have their task cut out.
Attack
Other than the foreign duo of Theo and Okoro, Mohammedan has two young strikers in Vimal Pariyar and Gautam Thakur. Pariyar, former East Bengal player has shown glimpses of his talent in the Kolkata League but it would be tough for him to score or create goals in the I-League.
Thakur is still in the early days of his career and it won’t be easy for him to make an impression from the bench. It is true that Theo, sometimes, is found wanting and Okoro isn’t the player he used to be at East Bengal.
But for Mohammedan to survive the duo of Theo & Okoro have to be at their best for the entire season and also stay injury free.
Source:Goal.com
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