ISL: Five challenges for Punjab FC ahead of the new season

Punjab FC are the first I-League team to gain promotion into the ISL.

The Indian Super League (ISL) will welcome its newest team in the form of Punjab FC from the 2023-24 season onwards. This is thanks to the side having won the 2022-23 I-League campaign, gaining automatic promotion to India’s top division.

Punjab FC have made history as the first-ever I-League team to have actually earned official promotion to the ISL. The likes of Bengaluru FC, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant were all given direct promotions by the league itself. As the new boys in town, Punjab FC will have their work cut out for them.

They will soon realize how the ISL is a grade above the I-League and competing in it isn’t easy at all. With the country’s best players, as well as higher quality foreigners playing in the league, the Warriors need to be ready for the challenging road ahead. With that being said, let’s look at the five challenges that Punjab FC will face before the ISL season.

5. Finding a quality goalkeeper

It’s almost mandatory for any ISL team to have a reliable, consistent goalkeeper who can thrive under pressure. Punjab FC’s current Indian No. 1 is Ravi Kumar, who has plenty of ISL experience. Kiram Limbu remains in the squad, but accommodating a foreign goalkeeper with squad restrictions will be tough. Kumar has played for the likes of NorthEast United and Mumbai City FC, but was mostly a second-choice keeper for ISL sides. He couldn’t prove himself as a No.1 in the league, during his previous sojourns.

PFC can’t rely on someone like Kumar, or younger keepers like Jaskaranvir Singh or Arshdeep Singh to bail them out of trouble. Arshdeep comes in as their new signing to take on the No. 1 mantle, but he fell out of favour after featuring heavily for Odisha FC in the 2020-21 season. Arshdeep has since featured only sporadically and it is understood that he has issues in his game.

If Punjab FC wants to maintain a strong defensive record, they need a more refined goalkeeper. They need to work hard on signing an all-around keeper who is capable of winning points on his own with cat-like reflexes as well as be dependable on the ball to help with their build-up play.

4. Improve squad depth

Punjab FC are currently locked in on securing their summer targets to create a strong squad to compete well in the ISL. Despite having signed a host of new players, there is a need for more to reach the level they’re hoping for. PFC currently have a bloated squad of over 30 players, but only a handful can truly excel in the ISL. They need to look into selling some of the underwhelming talents and replace them with those who have plenty of ISL experience.

That includes trying to find upgrades over the likes of Deepak Devrani and Brandon Vanlalremdika – who failed to impress in the ISL. Punjab needs to look to have at least two dependable players in each position to tackle the upcoming ISL season strongly. To do so, they’ll need to raise the general quality of their squad by signing players who have actually excelled in the ISL in the past and come with some sort of a guarantee to help them settle in well in the competition.

3. Rope in foreigners with ISL experience

Khel Now recently revealed the signing of Edu Bedia for the upcoming season. In Bedia, they’re getting a foreign player with bags of ISL expertise – having won the league shield with Goa and made over 100 appearances. But just one player with ISL experience won’t work. Their other foreigners like Kiran Limbu, Juan Mera and Luka Majcen – despite all their quality – have never played in the ISL. It’s safe to assume that Majcen can excel in the ISL after having scored 16 goals in 20 I-League appearances last season. But the same guarantee can’t be given for the other two.

https://twitter.com/KhelNow/status/1679084321389305857

That means PFC have to hurry to scout and sign at least four more foreign players who can be trusted to lead them to success in the ISL. They’ll need to work hard to sign foreign players who know the league and how to excel in it. That also includes signing foreign defenders, as well as new ones to add more firepower to their frontline. This might sound tough, but is necessary to ensure PFC don’t become the whipping boys of the ISL in their debut campaign.

2. Restructure their backline with quality defenders

Punjab had an impressive defensive record in the I-League last season. They conceded just 16 goals in 22 matches, keeping 11 clean sheets. It was their impressive defensive line that played a key role in helping them sail to the title and get promoted to the ISL. But there is no guarantee that the same backline that excelled in the I-League can do the same in the top division. There is a reason even Championship clubs that get promoted to the Premier League look to sign defenders. That is because the level of competition and quality of opposition sides are a notch above in the top division.

PFC can’t rely on the same core that helped them excel last season to be a hit in the ISL. Their backline needs to be restructured and fortified for them to survive in the ISL. The Warriors probably need to sign at least one foreign centre-back who can be a commanding figure that holds their backline together. They need more well-rounded full-backs that can provide on both sides of the pitch. If they're able to sign a few quality defenders, PFC could have a strong-enough backline to compete in the ISL and help them grind out results.

1. Signing a proven goal-scorer

For Punjab FC, signing some quality defenders and improving their squad depth can help them survive an onslaught in the ISL. But if they actually want to win matches consistently, the Warriors will need a reliable striker. Majcen is likely to play a more withdrawn role in the frontline in the ISL, and that will suit him best. That means PFC has to look for a quality, No. 9 that can bang in a lot of goals for them. They’ll need to look for an experienced, foreign forward that can bring the whole package – perhaps someone similar to Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s Dimitri Petratos.

PFC are lacking that special spark in their frontline right now and have to work to fill that void. The likes of Bedia and Juan Mera can create a lot of goals, while Majcen can contribute in some. But to win games consistently, they need a special forward who can link-up with his teammates, make clever runs into the box and finish chances clinically. Of course, it’s not easy to find such a foreign player within a budget. But if PFC really wants to compete in the ISL, they’ll need to invest a sizeable sum of money to sign a reliable goal-scorer who can revolutionize their attack and bang in a lot of goals next season.