SC East Bengal will be playing their second season in the Indian Super League after a dismal ninth-place finish in the 2020-21 edition.
The ‘red and gold’ brigade will surely hope to do better than their inaugural outing, in which they got just three wins. With new coach Jose Manuel Diaz, replacing Robbie Fowler, at the helm, SCEB starts a new chapter for the more than 100-year-old club.
The new coach will have multiple new faces and some old problems to manage the expectations of thousands of fans. A dearth of Indian talent given their late entry to the market and last season’s mistakes will mean SC East Bengal have to rely on their foreign ranks.
Strength
Jose Manolo Diaz will gave a core of competent foreigners at his disposal to wreak havoc among any defence in the league and the manager has a proven track record. The likes of Tomislav Mrcel and Franjo Prce in defence along with Amir Dervisevic and Darren Sidoel in mid-field, SCEB have a rock-solid spine.
What may prove to be a game-changer will be the presence of Daniel Chima Chukwu, with Antonio Perosevic as cover, who has played at Molde under current Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and penchant for pumping in the goals.
Weakness
The lack of Indian quality and depth in their squad may force the coach’s hand on multiple match-ups. Ageing Raju Gaikwad and Adil Khan may be slow off the blocks and youngsters Hira Mondal, and his ilk, even though promising, may lack the experience.
Jackichand Singh, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Mohammed Rafique and Bikash Jairu, in mid-field, again maybe not the perfect balance of youth and experience.
ISL 2020-21 performance
SC East Bengal finished 9th in the league table with just three wins from their 20 games – eight draws and nine losses. They scored 22 goals and conceded 33, a middling return but by the time the team had clicked into gear, their chances were well over.
Most notable new signings
Arindam Bhattacharja’s move to SCEB from arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan may just turn out to be a steal in the grand scheme of things. The goalkeeper, who won the Golden Glove after keeping 10 clean sheets in 23 matches, was named captain too for the upcoming season.
History in ISL
SC East Bengal played their first season in the ISL last season and finished ninth in the league.
Chances/Prediction
SC East Bengal may have repeated last season mistakes and a similar showing this time around too will not shock anyone. A sense of now-or-never still hangs heavy in the air for SCEB and might just propel the club to go beyond their means.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Arindam Bhattacharya, Sankar Roy, Suvam Sen
Defenders: Daniel Gomes, Joyner Lourenco, Raju Gaikwad, Adil Khan, Hira Mondal, Ankit Mukherjee, Goutam Singh, Tomislav Mrcela, Franjo Prce, Sarineo Fernandes, Akashdeep Singh
Midfielders: Jackichand Singh, Sourav Das, Angousana Wahengbam, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Md Rafique, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Bikash Jairu, Amir Dervisevic, Darren Sidoel, Romeo Fernandes, Songpu Singsit, Loken Metei
Forwards: Balwant Singh, Thongkhosiem Haokip, Naorem Mahesh, Siddhant Shirodkar, Daniel Chima Chukwu, Antonio Perosevic, Subha Ghosh
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