I-League: Are Mohd. Are Overly Dependent On Theo And Okoro?

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

I-League: Change Of Colours - A Divine Blessing

For every Indian footballer it's a dream to play for one of the top Kolkata clubs' at least once in their career. Take the example of the current Indian team - nine out of the eleven that had started in the AFC Challenge Cup final have played for Kolkata clubs before.

For local players it's tough to retain their spot in the top clubs as high profile signings each season force them to either warm the bench or move elsewhere. In this feature we look at few players who were part of the Big Two of Kolkata but have excelled playing for the smaller clubs.

Chirag United like other small clubs have benefited the most from these group of players. Let's have a look at few of these players:

Snehashish Chakravarty

The Chirag United winger has done a brilliant job playing for his new club in the Kolkata Premier League and has made a good start in the I League. Playing for East Bengal for the past two seasons, Snehashish found himself on the bench most of the time. He showed glimpses of his talent during his rare appearances but he has been consistent in his performances at Chirag. He has already made two assists and also put in a man of the match performance against title contenders Churchill Brothers.

Gauranga Dutta

The young and energetic footballer from rural Bengal started his career as a striker. A product of the IFA Academy in Khardah, Gauranga came into limelight after his impressive performance in the 2005-2006 season when he scored nine goals in all competitions including one in the 3-1 win over arch rivals Mohun Bagan in the National League. But he soon fell behind in the pecking order and decided to move to Chirag United where he started as a right midfielder. He was one of the plus points for Chirag in a disappointing Kolkata Premier League campaign and has also started playing well in the I League. The goal against Mahindra will give him extra confidence to perform even better in the upcoming matches.

Shashty Duley

The highly experienced midfielder is very important in Chirag's plans. The former East Bengal great might be past his prime but his experience will be vital for Chirag to survive in the I-League. Shasthy was at his best for Chirag last season when he helped them to a third place finish in the Kolkata Premier League.

Dulal Biswas

The former Mohun Bagan right back has one of the best defenders of the I-League so far. The arrival of several outstation young defenders forced the former Indian international to move to Chirag and his reunion with Subrata Bhattacharya has been a big plus for the promoted club. Along with the two foreigners (Daniel and Louis Ebami) the presence of Dulal Biswas makes Chirag defense a reasonable outfit.

Hardeep Saini

After starting his career with Punjab Police, Hardeep Singh Saini made a trip down south and came into the spotlight while playing for Sporting Club De Goa under Nigerian Coach Clifford Chukuwama.

People in Kolkata largely remember him for scoring that brilliant long range goal against East Bengal and his consistent performances for the Goan club earned him a move to East Bengal. But the midfielder was never a regular for the Red and Gold brigade and that saw him move to Chirag United.

But that still didn't change his fortune as injury forced him to miss a large part of the Kolkata League and soon he became a reserve in the Chirag team.

An inspiring performance in the second half of the opening day of the season changed all that. He has now become a regular in the team and after three outstanding displays against East Bengal, Mahindra United and Churchill his career is back on track.

Source:Goal.com

I-League: Round Five Two Matches' Venue Changed

Two games from round five of the I-League have had their venue changed in order to incorporate the change is scheduling due to Dempo’s AFC Cup engagements.

Mumbai FC who were to face league leaders Sporting Club De Goa on the 24th of this month at Cooperage Stadium would now play at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa.

While Chirag United shall host JCT at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on the 23rd after the latter was to play the former in their home ground in Punjab.

Speaking to Goal.com, Mr.Anil Kamat, Director of Competitions (AIFF) said, “We had to change the schedule keeping in mind Dempo’s situation as they are participating in the AFC Cup. If they make further progress in the competition, there will be further changes in the scheduling.”

Source:Goal.com