Fanzone: Who is more important for Chennaiyin FC, Chhangte or Thapa?

The attacking duo was crucial in the Marina Machans' run towards the ISL final last season.

Chennaiyin FC had a thrilling season in the Indian Super League (ISL) as they reached the final in an unprecedented fashion. Although the Marina Machans could not cap it off with a win to lift the trophy, one can simply admire the role played by Anirudh Thapa and Lallianzuala Chhangte - the crucial cogs in Owen Coyle's system.

Operating in the midfield, Thapa averaged 87.7 minutes per game and recorded almost 50 passes in each game. He assisted six goals and scored one for himself in the semi-final against FC Goa. On the other hand, Chhangte was one of the highest-scoring Indian forwards in the league with seven goals. He ended the campaign with a total of 43 shots and 49 crosses.

However, there has been a long discussion about which of the two Indian players edges the other. Within the club’s huge fan-base 'Supermachans, a couple of fans shared contrasting opinions on the players. Here’s how the debate went -

Bharath Vaideeswaran (For Lallianzuala Chhangte)

Being a Chennaiyin FC fan, its very difficult to decide who is more important for us, Chhangte or Thapa. It's like asking which is more important, the heart or the brain!

Yet, if I were to choose one of them, I would choose the former and here's why -

Lallianzuala Chhangte is a constant goal-scoring threat for the opponents. One can imagine his threat in the final third looking at his tally of second-most goals by an Indian this season - seven goals (3rd highest goal scorer for the club this season). Moreover, he also has 23 shots on target finishing just behind Bartholomew Ogbeche, Nerijus Valskis and Roy Krishna.

https://youtu.be/nIG7ytN6M58

Chhangte, just like a typical winger, is known for his superb pace. He is unarguably one of the fastest Indian players playing in the league. His lightning-fast sprints always keep the opposition defenders on their toes. Moreover, his ability to beat the offside trap is an added advantage. For instance, his trait to outpace the opponent made Sourav Das commit a foul and earn a red card, which helped Chennaiyin beat Mumbai City FC in the all-important match last season.

When Owen Coyle took charge at Chennaiyin FC, he had said that Chhangte is of another level and that if he can develop his finishing skills a bit more, then he can easily become 'one of the best wingers in India.' In my opinion, with proper coaching and guidance, surely he will become one of the best Indian wingers of all time. If he can be the league's second highest Indian goal-scorer, at 22, we can surely imagine great things from him in the future.

Aasif Ali (For Anirudh Thapa)

As a Chennaiyin FC fan, I am immensely proud to have gifted footballers like Chhangte and Thapa in my team. Both of them are national team players and have an important role in the Chennaiyin set up. Chhangte uses his pace on the wing whereas Thapa composes the play in the midfield. But if I have to pick one, I will go for Anirudh Thapa over Lallianzuala Chhangte.

Looking at the progress Anirudh Thapa is making at the club, he could become a legend in years to come. At the age of 22, he has made over 50 appearances so far and has also played under top coaches like Marco Materazzi, John Gregory and now Owen Coyle. Interestingly, each of those coaches have only heaped praise on the midfielder.

Thapa along with Jeje Lalpekhlua are two of the most beloved Indian footballers in the Chennaiyin FC setup. In addition to that, he has a habit of scoring wonder goals in knock out ties, which shows how well he can handle the pressure of big games. Popularly known as the 'Boy Wonder' amongst the Chennaiyin fans, Thapa has already done wonders to the beloved club. His goal in the semi-final against FC Goa in 2017-18 turned out to be a massive one as Chennaiyin went on to bag the title.

What also works for him is that he can slot anywhere in the midfield and dictate the play which shows his tendencies of becoming one of the greatest midfield generals in Indian football. Moreover, one of the best things about Thapa's game is his consistency. He has a good passing ratio and very rarely has a bad day on the pitch.

Not just the fans but even a lot of players in the ISL have been impressed with his performances. For instance, Hugo Boumous who is one of the best midfielders in the ISL admitted he is impressed by Anirudh Thapa's play. Be it Igor Stimac, Owen Coyle, John Gregory or any other coach, all have said that Thapa is going to achieve big things in the near future. Even the Blue Tigers' skipper Sunil Chhetri had words of praise for the Dehradun-born midfielder.

Further, one of the biggest reasons why I would pick thapa over chhangte is because he had once admitted that he was a supporter of Chennaiyin before even joining them. This makes it even more special and gives the fans a feeling that he is one of us. If he continues and develops the same way, he is going to have the captain's armband very soon. And what would be better than having 'one of us' lead our team. Not just that, as a Chennaiyin fan, we believe Thapa would also be the captain of India very soon!