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The success of the inaugural season of the Indian Super League (ISL) saw it establish itself as one of the most popular and widely followed tournaments in the world of football. Registering the fourth highest attendance in football last year, ISL’s rise has seen it attract famed footballers who have reached the twilight of their career.The expectations surrounding these household names was sky high and although some have been able to live up to the hype, few have hardly justified their performances in this year’s tournament. The tournament came to a thrilling finish with Chennaiyin FC clinching the crown after a dramatic 3-2 win over hosts FC Goa.We look to evaluate the performance of the marquee signings of each team and their contribution to their respective sides throughout the tournament.
#1 Helder Postiga
The fairytale beginning for the Portuguese marksman ended in bitter despair as the 33-year old finds himself reeling in the stands. Playing a mere 70 minutes out of 15 games for the defending champions, the marquee signing for Atletico de Kolkata has gone unobserved throughout the tournament.
While the former Porto star did bag two goals on his debut against Chennaiyin FC, the injury suffered in the same game would ultimately seal his fate in the second edition of the ISL. A trip back to Portugal to recover didn’t pay much heed for Postiga, who couldn’t quite find a place back in Antonio Habas’plans since his return to Kolkata.
While last season’s marquee signing Luis Garcia was influential in every way possible, this season though, the story has been drastically different as Kolkata have had to rely on the determination and grit of proven players in the tournament.
Sadly for the former Tottenham striker, his Indian sojourn, which started on such a bright note, ended in despondency.
#2 Carlos Marchena
Carlos Marchena in a lot of ways summed up the second ISL season for Kerala Blasters. Last year’s finalists recruited the former Villareal defender to add more steel to their defense alongside Sandesh Jhinghan, but the Spaniard unfortunately couldn’t do much this season and had to return back home halfway through the season.
Marchena suffered an injury a week before the ISL kicked off and returned for the game against Delhi Dynamos, where the side from the south were beaten.
The 36-year old did not play any further part in the competition and had to pack his bags days after head coach Peter Taylor was sacked. While personal reasons were sighted for his departure, the World Cup winners failure to recover and recurring injuries looked to be a key reason for his depressing short visit to India.
#3 Elano Blumer
It has been a topsy-turvy second season in India for Elano. After impressing in the inaugural edition of the tournament, the Brazilian failed to create a similar impact this time around as injuries and substandard performances saw him lose his place to Bruno Pelissari for crucial matches. However, his team's title win makes the issue of his performances go away.
The former Manchester City play maker was inconsistent this season and failed to dictate play in a similar manner as he did for much of last season. While he was key to Chennaiyin’s performances at the start of the season, the second phase of the competition has seen Marco Materazzi opt for Pelissari as the midfield creative force.
In the 15 games he featured in, Elano scored four goals and assisted on four occasions. The Brazilian didn't have much of a role to play in the side’s impressive 4-2 aggregate win over Atletico de Kolkata in the playoffs, and though he came on in the final and provided good thrust going forward, he wasn't as insturmental as in the initial stages of the season.
Chennaiyin FC took the win and Elano was one of their important players, but his minutes took a backseat as the tournament progressed.
#4 Roberto Carlos
Arguably the biggest name of the ISL this season, Roberto Carlos was the star attraction in the Delhi Dynamos line-up. Joining as the marquee player-manager, Carlos came to India with very little experience in the dug-out, but ended up surprising many with his fine skills and tactical nous.
The Brazilian took the Dynamos to the semi-finals and after masterminding an impressive win over Goa in the first leg, they were just another good result away from the final, but were outplayed and eliminated by the team from Goa 3-1 on aggregate.
On the field though, Carlos gave himself very little time, making just one start and coming on as a substitute on two occasions. The Brazilian’s team selection and rotation of the players was widely appreciated and the fine away form in the tournament also didn’t go unnoticed, which was the key reason for their fine position in the league table.
The only negative for Carlos this season though was his side’s poor goal difference. The Dynamos failed to light up the tournament with goals for the majority of the season and, towards the end when they did pick up their stride, they were unconvincing in defense.
#5 Adrian Mutu
Much was expected of FC Pune City’s side and their marquee signing this season, Adrian Mutu, but in the end neither of the two lived upto the billing.
The former Chelsea striker found the net four times in the league stage and often had to settle for a place on the bench. He looked short of fitness and his poor injury run made things worse for David Platt and his attacking options.
This tournament was a glimmer of hope for the striker to get into the Romanian squad for the upcoming EUROs but that too went to waste as not once did Mutu come up with a game-changing performance. His sub-standard performances saw him drop down the pecking order to Kalu Uche and Tuncay Sanli and was sent towards the final 20 minutes as an impact sub.
There were some outstanding moments as well, especially the final minute free-kick against Delhi Dynamos, but like most of Mutu’s goals in India, that too did not reap any benefits.
For all the money spent by the side from Maharashtra, the tournament in the end resulted in a reality check. He failed to outpace his opponents and there were rarely any signs of domination against the opposite numbers.
#6 Nicolas Anelka
The Frenchman was handed over the role of player-manager for the second ISL season, but the former Chelsea striker never quite got into the groove of things. With the signing of Sunil Chhetri and Sony Norde, Anelka decided to put himself on the bench and play the role of the head coach for most part of the season.
The side was once again a bitter disappointment as despite all the spending they could only muster a poor sixth-place finish, six points behind the playoff spots. There were not many positives for Anelka as a player as he failed to score a single goal in the tournament and never quite filled the void left by Chettri and Norde when they went for international duty.
As a manager, things were as inconsistent as they were last season. The side had a few positives for some part of the season but struggled for consistency during the latter half of the season. The defense was leaky and the inconsistency in team selection turned out to be another key point for their demise.
With the former Real Madrid striker confirming that he won’t be returning to the tournament next season, the onus is now on Ranbir Kapoor and his management to find the right marquee player for the coming seasons.
#7 Simao
The Portuguese playmaker came as a beacon of hope for NorthEast United after the side’s fairly substandard performance in attack last season. Known for his eye-catching movement, set pieces and crosses, Simao came across as the perfect creative force that the John Abraham co-owned squad needed.
But, like many other marquee stars this term, the fitness and the impact of Simao too was minimal. The former Benfica star missed the initial phase of the season and when he arrived, the pressure on Highlanders to regain momentum was at an all-time high.
Though Simao impressed with his set-pieces, especially his free-kick from his very first touch against Delhi Dynamos, and the string of penalties he scored, as a creative force, it was fairly easy on the whole to deal with the Portuguese.
With three goals and two assists in 10 appearances, Simao failed to light up the ISL as Cesar Farias and his side would have expected and in the end was reduced mainly to the role of an impact sub.
While overall NorthEast improved as a team, finishing two points below the fourth-placed side, one can only wonder how different things could have been had the 36-year-old not been plagued by injuries.
#8 Lucio
Though the Brazilian had difficulties adapting to the initial stages due to injuries, since his return, he has been consistent and provided a different dimension to Goa’s defense. The side finished top of the league table and with 13 appearances made, Lucio was a vital cog in Goa’s impressive campaign, culminating in their loss to Chennaiyin FC in the final.
The side conceded the third lowest goals in the league phase and much credit to the settled backline led by the charismatic Lucio whose towering figure and strength made up for his lack of speed.
While the former Inter Milan defender struggled in the first leg of the playoffs against Delhi Dynamos, that was amongst the few rare occasions where the 37-year old was beaten easily. He was back to his best in the 2nd leg against Delhi, as Goa outplayed the Dynamos to reach the final.
It is no secret that with him in the side, Goa looked more settled and compact in defense and that was highlighted by the fact that they suffered the least number of defeats in the tournament. Lucio’s presence allowed the full-backs to be more expressive and under his tutelage, it is no secret that the Indian players too have gone up a notch.
