'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mohun Bagan have a new name for their football team, a new strip to match it, as well as a plethora of record-breaking signings. Head coach Juan Ferrando is about to have a season of headaches, and with the animated Antonio Habas looming over the proceedings at the club, the pressure has never been more. Is there a method to this madness? Let's put on Ferrando's tactical hat for a moment and try to figure it all out.
Last season, the Green and Maroon Army started their ISL campaign with a flexible 4-2-3-1 formation. They would then move to 4-3-3 in possession thanks to the box-to-box midfielder Joni Kauko moving forward and providing support to Hugo Boumous.
However, Kauko's season-ending injury meant that Ferrando had to resort to the traditional 4-2-3-1 with Boumous as the No.10 with Dimitri Petratos up front as a very mobile No.9. Both Boumous and Petratos have been retained by the management, but the additions of Jason Cummings and Armando Sadiku have made things much more complex.
Signings of other creative outlets in Anirudh Thapa and Sahal Abdul Samad have also confused fans with the same question - how exactly will the ISL champions line up? Let's take a look at three options that Juan can utilize.
#1 The 4-4-2 diamond
Not the kind of formation that is very common in the Indian footballing circuit, but it can do a great job of accommodating Mohun Bagan's blistering attacking talent.
The backline can have the expected four - Subhasish Bose on the left, Brendan Hamill pairing up with Anwar Ali, and Asish Rai on the right. It is in the middle of the park that things get interesting. Glan Martins is the best choice as the lone No.6, with Anirudh Thapa on the right and Sahal Abdul Samad on the left - or vice versa. Hugo Boumous can operate in his ideal role of the No.10.
Up front, any two of Dimitri Petratos, Armando Sadiku, or Jason Cummings can be played. Petratos can also be used as a second striker.
Pros - Accommodates a lot of attacking talent, with three foreign attackers operating together.
Cons - Lack of width, no natural wingers like Liston Colaco or Ashique Kuruniyan can be deployed, Sahal's poor defensive output as a wide No.8.
#2 The traditional 4-2-3-1
If Juan Ferrando was to stick to the formation that he most uses, his lineup would include the same defense, Martins and Thapa in the pivot, Boumous again as the No.10, and an attack of two wingers (between Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan or Manvir Singh) and a foreign striker.
This results in only three overseas players in the XI instead of the allotted four. The other options are Florentine Pogba (whose inclusion in the final squad is up in the air), and the two other strikers.
The glaring lack of a foreign defensive midfielder is apparent, which will weaken the spine of the side. It remains to be seen if Mohun Bagan will sign a replacement for Carl McHugh.
Pros - Ferrando's familiarity with the system, Boumous at his most threatening in the free role, Indian players operating in their natural positions.
Cons - No spot to accommodate the fourth and final foreigner (unless they play out of position), two of the three big strikers in Petratos-Sadiku-Cummings will be benched.
#3 The Habasian 3-4-1-2
Antonio Lopez Habas is back in the city, but he won't be on the touchline this time. He has been roped in by the management as the technical director - someone who is generally in charge of player recruitment, coach development, performance analysis, and strategic planning.
It is pretty difficult to imagine Juan Ferrando aligning his footballing views with Habas, whose philosophy lies on the other end of the spectrum. Regardless, it might be Habas' 3-4-1-2 of old that may work best for the current Mohun Bagan squad.
The three-man backline can have Bose, Hamill, and Anwar. Thapa and Martins will position themselves in midfield. Ashique and Asish will bomb up and down the flanks as wingbacks. Boumous or Sahal will operate as the No.10 with two of the Petratos-Cummings-Sadiku trio up front - and voila! we may just have struck some balance.
Pros - Some semblance of balance in the starting XI, and the formation does a solid job of accommodating the big guns, including two explosive wingbacks in Kuruniyan and Asish, and a lethal fully foreign front three.
Cons - What of Liston and Manvir? No place for natural wingers. No players to replace the wingbacks. Younger Indian forwards like Suhail Bhatt and Kiyan Nassiri will fall further down the pecking order.
Conclusion
Whatever formation and tactics Ferrando chooses, there will always be some very big names that will sit out. It is simply impossible to please everyone - both the players and fans (who definitely have their favorites).
This is going to be one of the most daunting seasons ever faced by a manager in the Indian Super League, owing to the sheer quality the side have.
However, if one looks at it the other way, perhaps it isn't as tough. With so many top players in their ranks, it is probably difficult to lose for Mohun Bagan. However, knowing how Ferrando is a football purist, just winning doesn't always satisfy him. It is about how his side wins, and ensuring that is going to be key.
