Five ways Slavko Damjanovic can help ATK Mohun Bagan

The Serbian centre-back replaces Florentin Pogba in the Mariners' lineup.

ATK Mohun Bagan have completed their first signing ahead of the 2023 January transfer window. The Mariners have signed Serbian defender Slavko Damjanovic to strengthen their squad. He will come in as a replacement for the injured Florentin Pogba, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a nasty leg injury.

Chennaiyin FC fans should be well aware of Damjanovic. The 30-year-old was a part of their Indian Super League (ISL) side last season, where they had a relatively disappointing time. But Damjanovic produced some encouraging performances and proved himself as a commendable defensive option.

He’s going to add more options in the centre-back position for the Mariners, who have been left short of options in that area this season. With that being said, let’s look at the five ways Damjanovic’s arrival can benefit ATKMB.

5. Allows Rest For Brendan Hamill

Brendan Hamill has been a regular customer for ATK Mohun Bagan since the season began and has played most of the games so far. Juan Ferrando has already been frustrated after losing many players to injuries or fitness issues this season. He wouldn’t want that fate to fall to an important player like Hamill. That is why Damjanovic’s arrival can be a breath of fresh air for him.

The Serbian defender made 19 appearances for Chennaiyin FC last season and is quite a fit player. He can help Ferrando give some rest to Hamill and add a different option in the backline. Damjanovic’s aggressive style should also suit the composed Pritam Kotal, making him a nice fit for the Mariners.

4. He’s well suited to Ferrando’s style

Ferrando’s playing style encourages all their players to be comfortable on the ball and have ample passing qualities. That involves the defenders as well, especially the centre-backs. The Spaniard asks his defenders to help with the ball progression, often taking the ball forward as well as moving it forward swiftly. Damjanovic should be a good fit for this because he’s quite smooth with his passing ability.

Last season, he averaged over 30 passes and an 82.7% passing accuracy per game for Chennaiyin FC. The Serbian defender can move the ball with ease, play ample long balls as well as cross-field passes to open things up in the opposition's backline. This should help add more creativity to ATKMB’s style and help create things from the defence too.

3. Adds a unique option to ATKMB’s backline

Since the unfortunate injury suffered by Tiri, the Mariners have lacked a left-footed centre-back in their team. Pogba was signed to play more like a centre-back and did so in pre-season, sometimes being paired with Hamill too. But after his injury, Ferrando has not been able to play a natural left-footed centre-back. Carl McHugh has played at times, but is more comfortable as a midfielder. Subhasish Bose isn’t played as a centre-back anymore.

So Damjanovic can help add a different option because he’s left-footed. That can help him distribute the ball to ATKMB’s right-wing using his long balls and cross-field passes better. Moreover, Ferrando can also play him and Hamill together against menacing teams to help add more defensive solidity. This option will aid the Mariners to have a more unpredictable side to them and tougher to break down.

2. Has plenty of ISL experience

The good thing about Damjanovic is that he knows what it takes to play in the ISL. Having played in the league last season itself, he’s accustomed to the challenges one faces in it. He won’t really need that much time to adapt as he’s quite familiar with Indian football by now. That will definitely help Ferrando in helping to integrate him into his squad and playing style with ease.

Damjanovic won’t need a long time to get adapted to his new environment, having played the entire ISL season this year itself. The 30-year-old also knows how challenging the opposing sides are and the qualities of the other strikers, having played against most of them last season. His decent ISL experience can help him fit into the side pretty well, even though he’s coming halfway into the season and help improve the Mariners’ defensive record going forward.

1. He’s quite a prolific defender

Chennaiyin FC might’ve had a pretty poor defensive record last season, but Damjanovic was arguably their best defender. He wasn’t really responsible for their issues, nor did he make too many errors. In fact, the Serbian centre-back was actually a really hard-working defender who boasted impressive defensive numbers after every game. In 19 ISL games last season, Damjanovic averaged more than two tackles, two blocks and four clearances per game – among the best for the squad.

His ability to read games swiftly and make key challenges make him a very good option to have. Damjanovic can add more energy and ruthlessness to ATKMB’s backline, ensuring they can cut out trouble before it can be at their door. The 30-year-old’s prolific nature and impressive numbers should help toughen up ATKMB’s backline and make him a solid winter signing.