The 2015 Indian Super League season saw Chennaiyin FC crowned as the new champions. It was, however, a season to forget for the Kerala Blasters fans, who finished bottom of the table with a mere 13 points from 14 games. It was a huge shock for the South Indian outfit, who were runners-up in the ISL in the inaugural year.
After just one win from the opening six games, head coach Peter Taylor was replaced by Irishman Terry Phelan, who couldn't do much to stop the ship from sinking. The club enters the next season hoping for a much-needed change in fortunes, and along with that springs up the debate as to who shall be the one chosen to lead the team out for battle.
#1 Gary Neville
The ex-Manchester United captain was sacked by Valencia after picking up 11 loses in 28 games. He was more recently linked with Delhi Dynamos, with noted footballing agents and British news houses adding credibility to the rumors.
Currently serving as England's assistant manager, Neville will be hoping to help the country deliver a good performance in France during the upcoming Euros. The former Premier League winner previously left Sky Sports before joining Valencia and made was handsomely paid during his stint as a pundit and analyst. This does suggest that landing the 8 time Premier League winner will not be financially easy.
However, a marquee manager such as him will make a huge impact on the audiences that ISL would attract for the next season. His name is well known among Indians, considering what he has achieved with Manchester United and the number of appearances he makes on television and social media.
#2 David James
David James is a household name in the South Indian state. The goalkeeper was crucial in leading the club to the finals in 2014 when he was their marquee player-manager. He was noted for turning Kerala into a strong unit at the back, that relied on solid defensive displays rather than entertainment.
As a team, they frequently struggled up front and the lack of an outfield marquee player was pretty evident. After leaving the ISL, he joined National League outfit Luton Town, where he worked to gain experience towards a UEFA -A Licence qualification. His return to the Blasters would see a huge lift in club morale, which could be considered really vital to their chances in the League after their disastrous last season.
#3 Franco Colomba
The ex-Pune City FC manager was sacked after failing to take the club out of the groups stages and into the playoffs last season. The Italian is often considered an eccentric genius, who has had 20 different jobs in his managerial career.
He was also famously known for being the manager who would play and remove his own son from the pitch whenever he felt like it. His son Davide Colomba played for Pune City FC under him after both son and father were signed together.
After his sacking at Pune, he moved to Lega Pro outfit Livorno Calcio, where he lasted a mere 26 days. Before joining them he was also linked with Leyton Orient.
The experience, however, shouldn’t put off the Italian manager, who is known to bounce back from similar setbacks. The return of the enigmatic Italian to the ISL would follow a lot of fan fare, and his rather vocal and aggressive appearance down on the touchline is sure to rally the fans into supporting the cause.
#4 David Platt
David Platt was more famously seen on the bench at Etihad, beside Roberto Mancini as his assistant manager during the Italian’s stint as the manager of Manchester City. He left his job as assistant coach after the sacking of the Italian and despite being asked to consider a move to Galatasaray with his boss, he chose to move to Pune City FC to replace Franco Colomba.
David Platt was lauded for his easy going approach when it came to managing the club's day to day affairs. Players were noted as enjoying the home like environment the English manager provided both in the dressing room and within the team.
This freedom helped the players perform at their best and this combined with the fact that David Platt was always approachable, gave Pune City FC a distinct advantage. The club was on a roll, gathering 15 points with four games to go. However, four consecutive losses saw the club failing to get out of the group stages once again in the second season of the ISL.
