Indian Super League 2022-23 Season Review: East Bengal

The Red & Gold Brigade could not muster a knockout berth despite their mammoth investments.

Is money the solution to everything? Evidently not. Even more so, in football. Look at the differences between the two Manchester giants for instance. The Red Devils have spent a whopping £1.4 billion while the Cityzens have only splurged £803 million. Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, the club has struggled with not only player investments but manager appointments and basic club hierarchy. Meanwhile, Manchester City has gone from strength to strength after Guardiola’s introduction in 2016. They’ve won a ground shattering 11 trophies since then, compared to their neighbours’ meagre tally of five accolades. United’s recent upsurge has occurred all thanks to Dutch head coach Erik Ten Hag’s brilliant scouting and management but it belies the significant mismanagement that has hindered the success of arguably one of the biggest football clubs on the planet.

Similarly, East Bengal has been unable to cope up to life in the Indian Super League ever since their entry. Although they bettered their miserable one-win campaign under head coaches Manolo Diaz, Renedy Singh and MarIo Rivera in the 2021-22 season, the Kolkata-based side could only win five more. Stephen Constantine was appointed with much aplomb and given a monstrous budget to spend but the former Indian national team coach could only match Robbie Fowler’s six-win feat in their debut ISL season. After terminating their contracts with Quess and Shree Cement Limited, Emami’s takeover gave way to a massive transfer spree. They even announced the transfers of 13 domestic players and four new foreigners. Eventually a few standout players made a mark and were influential but overall, this campaign further highlighted the Kolkata giants’ fall from grace.

Fact Sheet for East Bengal FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23

Top Performers

Cleiton Silva

The Brazilian’s signing filled the Red and Gold Brigade’s fans with hope and excitement ahead of the ISL 222/23 season. He repaid their faith in him by banging in 12 goals as he is tied with Diego Mauricio for the Golden Boot. The former Bengaluru FC forward shone like a diamond among his teammates and ranks second for most shots in the league with 58. His return, however, was much less prolific as he ranked fourth for on-target shots with 25 to his name. 

Despite their team’s final position in the league table, fans would argue that Cleiton SIlva has single-handedly managed to pull the Kolkata outfit up and rightfully so. His skill manifested in every possible way as he scored all kinds of goals this season. From his top-corner screamer freekick against Bengaluru FC, a header and a penalty against NorthEast United to a fox-in-the-box finish against Kerala Blasters, Silva has been East Bengal’s star of the season. Stephen Constantine would be grateful, especially after he signed a one-year extension until 2024. 

Naorem Mahesh Singh 

Mahesh maintained his stellar form from last season as he and Cleiton formed a dangerous striker-midfielder duo. His 27 chances and seven assists were influential in lifting the team and getting them the goals. Naorem Mahesh Singh was a pivotal part of his side. He also won the Emerging Player of the Month for November 2022. 

Constantine deployed the energetic Manipuri medio in a box-to-box role which amplified his effect. He helped the team string together passes during buildup, averaging 31 passes per game with 60.9% passing accuracy. Not only that, he was also instrumental as defensive cover, completing 68 tackles, 11 interceptions and 26 blocks. Mahesh made it a point to compete cleanly too, as he only picked up a single booking in 19 games.

His two-goal performance against FC Goa also earned him the Dream11 MVP award for Matchweek 10 and the Man of the Match award. The club should not only retain him but also ensure that the squad is built around his strengths as he has showcased them to a great length already.

Jerry Lalrinzuala

Despite a few defensive masterclasses, Stephen Constantine’s East Bengal could not really get too many points by the end of the league stages. However, one name comes to the fore among the players responsible for these exploits: Jerry Lalrinzuala. The left-back used a mix of experience and ability to get out of tricky situations while under pressure. Having already plied his trade with Chennaiyin FC, Jerry did not really muster a lot of attacking output as he got one assist in the entire season. But his contribution playing as one of the fullbacks in a formation that banked entirely on wing overloads and penetration was commendable.

Defensively, Jerry was resolute as the former FC Metz trainee made 27 tackles and finished ahead of all his teammates. He also broke up a fair share of play and proved to be a match for the likes of Lallianzuala Chhangte and Liston Colaco, making 32 interceptions. In doing so, he also ranked 9th for most interceptions all season. He was one of those young players who would be the one to watch out for amongst the domestic contingent in the league.

Under-Performer

VP Suhair

Suhair was renowned for his finesse dribbling which made it seem like the ball was glued to his feet while he was at NorthEast United FC. However, he failed to replicate his form in his debut season with East Bengal FC. Although he never was one to score or assist a lot of goals, his football has always been eye-catching. 

This season, he bettered his debut ISL season return with five goals and assists but fell short of previous season’s tally of six. He did, however, create 12 chances but having to exhibit more workrate got to him both mentally and physically. That culminated in more clumsy challenges as he ranked first in the infamous category of most fouls this season with 36 offenses in only 18 games (almost two per game!). Accordingly, Suhair also picked up the maximum number of yellow cards in the league with eight to his name.  There were far worse players at the club this season but given his ability, VP Suhair underperformed more than any.

Top Performances

1. Mumbai CIty 0-1  East Bengal

https://youtu.be/y1jqZAUbN7s

2. East Bengal 2-1 Bengaluru FC

https://youtu.be/1vHomAsjBac

3.  NorthEast United FC 1-3 East Bengal

https://youtu.be/BU0u_1P1tKI

Manager’s Report Card

Stephen Constantine

Stephen Constantine was appointed as his foray into Indian football was meant to be a good indicator of his familiarity. The former Indian national team coach, however, grossly underestimated the quality of both players and tactical setups present amongst the ISL clubs. His decision to stick with a 4-2-3-1 and barely have a plan B other than playing long balls cost him.

In such a system, one needs experienced midfielders who can rule the game like Apuia, Jeakson, McHugh etc. Instead, Constantine had only Mahesh to rely on as Mobashir was too rash to have the same amount of consistency and Alex Lima rarely turned up in important games.

With the kind of investment he did, Constantine showed signs of making fixes to the squad. The Red and Gold Brigade has managed to display some well-orchestrated attacking moves as well as grind out games with dogged defending.  East Bengal can become a force to reckon if the Englishman tinkers with the formation every now and then. 

Lessons to be Learned

Comparison to ATK Mohun Bagan should be the first thing off the charts as every club has their own needs and specific growth rate. There needs to be a clear scouting plan with long-term investments. Players like Cleiton Silva only offer short fixes because they belong in the foreign category. More so, it’s not like Silva is getting any younger. With their second time finishing ninth in the league, brand goodwill is bound to take a plunge and will make it harder for the club to attract big names.

Therefore, time is not on the Red and Gold Brigade’s side. The only positive is that a rebuild is on the fray and the process has been initiated. Stephen Constantine and Emami are the right entities to oversee this change and can surely help the club restore its former glory. Improvements to transfer strategy also need to be implemented as promising youngsters must be loaned out to clubs for more game time. In doing so, they would be able to recall them at the requisite time and reduce dependency on the foreign contingent. Thus, they would maintain their overall squad health and be able to sustain longevity.

Fan View

I would argue that despite this season being so full of promise, East Bengal football club has once again been average at best. What I don’t understand is why they have taken three full seasons to get a grasp on things. Moreover, we don’t even know if this season’s final league position will be the last of such results.

There is a lot at stake with a club as big as East Bengal. I personally have been following this team since their McDowell days and my father and grandfather were supporters as well. While they might have seen the likes of Sudhir Karmakar and Peter Thangaraj, I saw more of Baichung Bhutia. 

I know it would be a crime to compare this team to the one from days of yore. But when we fans see ATK Mohun Bagan and see how they have adapted themselves, it really bothers us. There has been a good influx of funds and sponsorship which have also gotten promising and proven names on board for this project. So, I fail to see where it exactly is that we are lacking.