It is a precarious situation for Delhi Dynamos as they host Kerala Blasters FC in the second leg of their semi-final tie. A solitary goal by Kerala striker Kervens Belfort in the first leg separates the sides. With no suspensions, the match should be an even affair.
But, in their away leg, Delhi seemed a distant shadow of their imperious self. They were mostly chasing shadows as Kerala ran riot on their home ground.
Also read: Delhi Dynamos players urge fans to turn up in numbers for semifinal second leg
We take a look at what the team from the capital need to work on in order to make it through to the finals.
#5 Sort out their right back position
Every time Belfort received the ball on the left wing, it struck panic in the Dynamos’ right back. Sana Singh was clearly not adept enough to mark the Haitian. The bags of trickery from the striker deceived the defender on numerous occasions.
Be it pace, strength or guile - Belfort trumped Sana in every department. A deep scar has been exposed in the Delhi right back position. Gianluca Zambrotta needs to rejig his team and sort out the issue urgently. Maybe shuffling Souvik Chakrabarty in to the right back slot and letting Kim Kima play in the more natural left half would do the job. But this chink remains a major flaw in the Delhi Dynamos armour.
#4 Central defensive pairing needs to be strengthened
In the first leg, Ruben Rocha and Anas Edathodika were found to be at loggerheads regarding their defensive duties. From corners and set pieces, the duo looked exceptionally vulnerable. It might have been the pressure of playing in front of the 50,000 odd Kerala fans. But at Delhi, these two need to stand up tall to impart vigour in the backline.
The lack of understanding was evident when Rocha was found shouting instructions to his Indian counterpart after each failed clearance. A look at the statistics reveals the poor performance of the centre backs. While Anas completed 45 passes and made 3 interceptions, ex-Real Madrid man Rocha did not make a single interception.
This awful performance went unpunished as Kerala could only manage to slot in one goal in the first leg. But if the same dismal act is on show at Delhi, the visitors could inflict a heavy defeat on the hosts.
#3 Employ Malouda in a deeper role
Marcos Tébar has been deployed as the central midfielder with an objective to link the offence and defence seamlessly. Florent Malouda has been excused of that role and placed in a more advanced position. The Frenchman has been entrusted with the responsibility of launching attacks by linking the explosive triumvirate of Kean Lewis, Richard Gadze and Marcelinho.
But this move has proved to be ineffective thus far as Tébar hasn’t been up to the mark. He might be an excellent ball player but in the Delhi Dynamos setup he has not lived up to the billing. The Spanish midfielder needs to be utilised in a better manner to yield dividends for the team. With only one interception in the first leg, Tébar has not fulfilled his potential. Zambrotta must bring Malouda deeper to partner the Spaniard in order to maintain the neat interplay between offence and defence.
#2 Utilise Milan Singh effectively
In the attacking third, Malouda needs to find more space to counter the packed defence of Kerala Blasters. His combination with Milan Singh did not impart much fluidity to the Delhi attacks. The Manipuri has a flair for lethal long rangers but his ability to build up an attack is not beyond reproach.
The coach needs to look into the same and find an adequate replacement for the 24-year old. Maybe tweaking the formation would allow the ex-NorthEast man to find his natural position. Clearly, he is not at his best in the creative midfielder role. Keeping him as a blocker might evince a better performance from the Manipuri footballer.
#1 Involve Marcelinho
In the first leg, the Brazilian cut a sorry figure, isolated on the right flank. He was expected to create havoc with his exquisite cut-ins but he found it hard to touch the ball. Consequently, he remained ineffective throughout the match.
Marcelinho has to get into the thick of the action from the outset. If that requires changing his position, Zambrotta should not hesitate. Ideally, as a number 10, Marcelinho can seek to exploit the central defenders with his pace and skill. His quick acceleration can catch the defence unawares and lead to easy forays in the opposition penalty area.
Further, he should focus more on retaining the ball inside the opposite penalty half and not feign dives to earn penalties. In the semis and finals, the referees are already under incessant pressure. On top of that, such theatrics would not be a favourable ploy for a player of his stature.
