How does Sahal Abdul Samad fit into Mohun Bagan’s system?

Sahal Abdul Samad will certainly add a lot of value to the Mariners.

Sahal Abdul Samad will play for Mohun Bagan Super Giant from next season onwards after the Mariners secured his services by sending Pritam Kotal the other way to join Kerala Blasters in addition to a transfer fee. The attacking midfielder joins on a five-year contract and will add a lot of quality to an already strong squad, full of fabulous players, both domestic and foreign.

Sahal Abdul Samad was excellent for the Indian national team in their recent Hero Intercontinental Cup and SAFF Championship triumphs. His metamorphosis from an exciting young prospect into one of the finest Indian playmakers has been impressive. However, the majority of the credit for his development goes to Ivan Vukomanovic and Kerala Blasters as that is where he blossomed into a fabulous player.

As Juan Ferrando welcomes another fantastic player into the squad, here is a look at how Sahal Abdul Samad fits into his system at Mohun Bagan:

A goal-scoring asset

Mohun Bagan were struggling to find goals in the previous season of the Indian Super League. The outfit scored only 24 goals from 20 league fixtures, the least of all the six teams which qualified for the playoffs. To put it into context, Shield winners Mumbai City FC scored 54 goals, 30 more than the Mariners in the league stage of the ISL.

The arrival of Sahal Abdul Samad will go a long way in helping the Mariners score more goals. The playmaker is excellent in his role and loves to find chances to score or create them for his teammates. Juan Ferrando will relish the chance to work with the attack-minded midfielder and reduce the pressure from someone like Jason Cummings or Dimitri Petratos.

A stronger attacking force

Sahal Abdul Samad’s inclusion into the squad will allow Juan Ferrando to field more fluid attacking players. This is will come in handy as the Mariners aim to defend their ISL Trophy from the 2022-23 season. His arrival from Kerala Blasters FC will provide Ferrando with more tactical options going forward. One of the ways that the tactician can use Sahal's services is by fielding a holding midfielder behind him.

With Anirudh Thapa’s arrival, this is a realistic option for the team. A front four of Jason Cummings, Armando Sadiku, Dimitri Petratos and Ashique Kuruniyan with Sahal in the No. 10 spot will send shivers down the spine of most teams. One can expect the Mariners to field like this only in situations where they need to throw the kitchen sink at the opposition to find goals. 

A versatile midfielder

Under Juan Ferrando, Mohun Bagan play in a 4-2-3-1 setup. The pivots are extremely important in that formation as they initiate counter-attacks, make transitions and feed the wingers/full-backs with passes to stretch the opposition. This is where Sahal Abdul Samad’s arrival helps the team. 

The Mariners can shift to a 4-1-2-3 setup with Dimitri Petratos and Sahal Abdul Samad taking the midfield positions behind the attacking trio. The latter’s ability to play as both a No. 8 and a No. 10 make him a valuable asset.

Sahal’s technical brilliance aids him in dodging tackles and finding space to feed the ball to attackers. Furthermore, Ferrando, while rotating the players to keep them fit, can use Sahal as a wide forward, a role he has performed previously at Kerala Blasters FC.