ISL 2018-19: Chennaiyin FC 3-4 NorthEast United FC - 5 Talking Points

#2 Blunder by operating Francisco as right-back

John Gregory's tactics were underwhelming [image: ISL]

There were plenty of surprises when people read the team sheet as John Gregory made 3 changes from the last game, but Francisco Fernandes kept his place in the starting eleven. The winger was told to play through the right flank of the defense by the Chennaiyin FC manager.

The 32-year-old is not an orthodox right-back and showed his defensive inexperience with awful positioning at times. It left a big hole at the back for most of the game and the centre-backs were forced to do the extra spare work because of this limbo. Sabia and Alves struggled to cope up with Ogbeche which in turn cost Chennaiyin FC the game.

Inigo Calderon, who is primarily a right-back operated as a holding midfielder, but the Spaniard did not have a great game either. It was a tactical blunder from the Chennaiyin FC manager to have swapped positions when first-choice players were available for their first-choice positions.