#4 Delhi Dynamos have clear ideas on the pitch
Exaggeration you may call it, but there’s a certain pattern to this Delhi game-play, which all of us have seen. Every player-turned-coach seems to be inspired by a certain set-up/game-play he’s been a part of and Zambrotta looks to be inspired by the Barcelona-setup, masterminded by the great Johan Cryuff.
With the possession-based football, Zambrotta has turned a new leaf in Indian football never seen before. The team chases together and is not shy of passing the ball back to keep possession. With Kean Lewis and Marcelinho operating from the wings, they have two players with the ability to break defences with both off-the-ball running and key passing.
Thus, one look at the gameplay and you see a similar setup. With Marcos Tebar establishing himself in the role similar to Sergio Busquets at Barcelona, the team is always calm and never looks daunted with the ball. Without it, they have a stable defensive set-up with Rocha leading the line and giving them enough experience and stability.
The players are willing to run for each other and only target-man Badara Badji looks a misfit in the attacking third.
With Florent Malouda making his ISL 2016 debut, Richard Gadze would be praying to get on the pitch. In Milan Singh, they have a tireless runner who’s not shy of putting in a hard tackle, similar to Ivan Rakitic.
Obviously, these players do not have the same quality as their Barcelona counterparts, but they have a similar ideology on the pitch.
