Why Chennaiyin FC were doomed for failure before the ISL 2018-19 season even began

The South Indian outfit are currently last in the league standings.

The reigning Indian Super League champions, Chennaiyin FC fell to new lows on 15th December 2018, when they lost to Delhi Dynamos in their most recent fixture. Bikramjit Singh, who had been letgo by John Gregory in the summer, struck the final blow to push his former side's hopes of defending the title into the gallows.

The “curse of the champions” has well and truly stuck again and Chennaiyin should have been prepared this time around.

Several of the club’s problems have their roots in their preparation for the season. Gregory sent 12 of his first-teamers packing prior to the start of the campaign and failed to totally replace them.

John Gregory sent 12 of his first-teamers packing prior to the start of the season and failed to totally replace them

One of the few criticisms that could be leveled at the Marina Machans last term would have been their over-reliance on striker Jeje Lalpekhlua, as their only Indian goalscorer. The Mizo Sniper's failure to find the back of the net this season has meant that Gregory’s side exists in a constant state of flux in attempts to find a combination upfront.

It seemed obvious that the next step in the club’s growth following their stellar 2017-18 campaign would have been to bring in another forward, who could lead the line in Jeje’s absence, but they neglected to do so and the side are now paying the price for it.

Dhanpal Ganesh was an immense player for the Marina Machans in the 2017-18 season, in which he controlled almost every game from his deeplying midfield role, doing everything from winning tackles, to scoring goals. Following the injury that ruled him out for the duration of the campaign, the Englishman came out and said to the media that Ganesh’s absence would not prompt a change of tactics for his side.

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He tried to slot Germanpreet Singh, Isaac Vanmalsawma and even Inigo Calderon into the role, all of whom failed to live up to the standards set by Ganesh. Gregory’s rigidity in his system is also a major part of why Chennaiyin have failed to impress this term.

However, none of this is new to the Marina Machans. A very similar story unfolded just a couple of years ago in 2016. Following their success in 2015 under Marco Materazzi, the team went into the 2016 season with a certain air of complacency that proved to be their downfall. In a league as young as the ISL, the only constant is the fact that the league is going to undergo continuous change and improvement. Banking on a team that blew the opposition away one season in the following, is a sure shot recipe for failure.

The side's over-reliance on Jeje Lalpekhlua last season has backfired in this campaign

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Unfortunately, Gregory’s body language before the season showed that he had become complacent and was resting on his laurels, which is unusual for a manager of such vast experience. With the team competing in two competitions, it was on the board and the manager to ensure that the squad was equipped to give their best on both fronts.

As it stands, Chennaiyin have failed to learn from their mistakes in 2016 and are paying the price for it now. The defeat to Delhi at home saw their chances of reaching the playoffs all but disappear. The ISL title will have a new home this year and one would hope that the side from Chennai have learned their lesson. It remains to be seen if  Gregory will last the rest of the campaign, but if he does, he has a big job on his hands to bring the fallen giants back to the forefront of the ISL in the coming terms.