Five probable reasons why Bengaluru FC sacked Simon Grayson

BFC won only one out of 9 games they played in ISL 2023-24.

In a sudden turn of events, Bengaluru FC has announced its decision to mutually part ways with head coach Simon Grayson, who joined the club at the start of the 2022/23 season and led the Blues to three finals, winning the Durand Cup and finishing second in the Super Cup and Indian Super League finals. The ISL club confirmed this significant decision through an official statement released earlier this morning.

Renedy Singh will take charge of the team for the upcoming games till the club finds a new coach. Thus, the sudden departure of Grayson marks a surprising turn of events for Bengaluru FC and has left supporters and all football enthusiasts unclear about the reasons behind the mutual decision and making projections about the club’s future coaching orientation.

In this article, we will look at the five most likely reasons for Simon Grayson’s dismissal from Bengaluru FC.

1. Six games without a victory this season

Simon Grayson has been unable to achieve the expected outcomes since the start of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season. Bengaluru has won just one of their nine games this season, with four losses and four draws, leaving the club currently in ninth position in the league table with just seven points. Additionally, Bengaluru FC has settled for a draw in many outings this season despite having the advantage in the game and is also currently winless since the last six games.

The team has been struggling to win games this season and has lost four games already against significant stronger teams. Overall, the team’s performance has been declining, the club most recently suffered its biggest home defeat against Mumbai City where they went down 4-0 against the Islanders. The fact that Simon Grayson’s squad had gone winless in its last six games was the most likely the immediate reason for his departure, since it would have infuriated the management and other board members.

2. New Signing not settling in

The disappointing play of Bengaluru FC’s big acquisitions this season may also be a contributing factor. This season, Simon Grayson has not been able to live up to his expectations, as evidenced by the underwhelming play of players like Javi Hernandez and Curtis Main. Despite being among the finest legs in the ISL, the majority of this season’s additions have not lived up to expectations, and the foreign players have not bonded well with the team.

Curtis Main was one of the players brought in with high hopes for the season, but he hasn’t lived up to them yet. Defensive additions such as Aleksandar Jovanovic and Slavko Damjanovic haven’t been at their best this season and haven’t been able to find their best footing till now with the squad.

Even after nine matches, new players have not been able to settle in the squad, which is one of Simon Grayson’s major setbacks this season. He has failed to get the best out of this group of players, and it is clear that the new signings this season have struggled to fit in with the other National and International players.

3. Unable to put together an effective team combination

It’s clear from the squad’s recent performance and outcomes that Simon Grayson struggled to assemble the ideal team combination as the new players didn’t click with the veterans of the team. Since Curtis Main was acquired as one of the prospective strikers for this season, fans had anticipated good combination play between him and Sunil Chhetri in the up front. This season, the club have struggled to score goals and to form a lethal attacking combination.

Even defensively, the club lacked consistency, as seen in their match against Mumbai where they conceded four goals, two of which came from penalty kicks, highlighting the Blues’ inability to put together a cohesive backline. Given that Simon Grayson struggled to find an effective team combination and put together a cohesive squad and hasn’t led Bengaluru FC to their deserving victories this season, this could be yet another factor in the team’s decision to seek a new coach for the remainder of the campaign.

4. No attacking depth in the up front

Simon Grayson’s squad has struggled in the goal-scoring department this season, managing only 10 goals in nine matches. The lack of attacking depth within the squad is evident, with key players like Javi Hernandez and Curtis Main failing to hit top form. Main, who has only scored two goals this season, has has not lived up to the hype. The team’s reliance on Sunil Chhetri for goal-scoring opportunities seemed to be a challenge, as he struggled to find adequate support up front since the last few games under Simon Grayson’s leadership.

Despite having seasoned players, Simon Grayson’s squad has suffered setbacks this season, losing four matches and settling for draws in matches where they had initially taken the lead. Grayson’s lack of attacking depth and offensive methods up front has drawn criticism as the squad tries to solve its goal-scoring problems and enhance its playmaking creativity in general.

5. Poor core of domestic players and lack of bench strength

This season, Simon Grayson did not have as many choices as other teams, such as Mumbai City and Mohun Bagan, who have acquired the best Indian talents in their sqaud. Grayson had limited options because the bench depth was lacking in comparison to other teams. The current squad lacks playing depth because none of the seasoned players are performing well. Simon was compelled to pit the young men against more powerful opponents. Players such as Monirul Molla, Harsh Patre, and Arpit Yadav are observed gaining command in the last few outings for BFC.

Bengaluru FC’s weak core of domestic players combined with absence of talented Indian players has caused Simon Grayson to suffer setbacks this season. The team’s problems have been exacerbated by the absence of a solid foundation of local talent, and coach Grayson has struggled to put together a cohesive squad with the limited alternatives on his bench. As a result, the team has encountered challenges while playing against teams with greater strength.

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