Three East Bengal players who must improve to be part of Oscar Bruzon’s long-term plans

Oscar Bruzon has done a good job with East Bengal team recently.

East Bengal are eager to end their winless start to the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) season and get into a winning rhythm after the November break. The Red & Gold Brigade have a plethora of matches after their return to action and need to start accumulating regular victories to close the gap from the top six.

Oscar Bruzon also needs his players to step up and take their performances to another level to have a chance of keeping their playoff dreams alive.

A few particular players have been seriously underperforming under the Spaniard’s system, causing frustrations for fans and threatening their long-term positions. Here we look at the three East Bengal players who have to improve to secure their futures at the club.

3. Nandhakumar Sekar

Nandhakumar Sekar has had a difficult start to the 2024-25 ISL campaign, not being able to make much of an impact in the wide areas. He did play relatively well in the AFC Challenge League for Bruzon’s side, scoring one goal in the three matches. But he’s been very ineffective in the attacking front in the ISL, with zero goals and zero assists in seven matches.

Not just that, he’s only created six chances in the matches and produced some very forgettable performances in the three matches under Bruzon. While Sekar has been working hard and covering a lot of distance, the gaffer will demand him to be more prolific in the final third.

He’s set to miss the NorthEast United clash due to a red card he picked against Mohammedan, and he needs to step up his final product to save himself from becoming a bench warmer.

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2. Naorem Mahesh Singh

Naorem Mahesh Singh infuriated many East Bengal fans with the way he got sent off against Mohammedan Sporting for lashing out at the referee.

The red card more or less reflected his poor start to the 2024-25 season, with his only good game coming in the 3-2 win over Nejmeh FC in the AFC Challenge League – where he produced an assist. Mahesh has looked a shadow of his former self, not being able to make those clever off-the-ball runs or score the smart goals he did a few years ago.

In five matches, Singh has not gotten a single goal contribution and only created five chances all campaign long. The 25-year-old is at risk of losing his starting role at East Bengal, especially with Bruzon having quality youngsters like PV Vishnu and Sayan Banerjee to work with. If he doesn’t start getting goals or assists after returning to action, Singh might completely lose Bruzon’s confidence in him.

1. Cleiton Silva

East Bengal’s decision to extend Cleiton Silva’s contract in the summer surprised many as some fans expected them to sign a younger forward. The 37-year-old has not done anything to quell the doubts about him. He has not scored or assisted a single goal in 12 matches across all competitions, be it in the ISL, AFC Challenge League, or Durand Cup.

He’s only started three games, producing some underperforming performances and lacking any bite in the final third. Cleiton needs to start proving his quality as a goal-scorer or at least be an impact substitute to increase Bruzon’s belief in him or risk being totally discarded from the squad going forward.

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