ISL 2024-25: Mohammedan SC Season Review

Mohammedan SC will need to make many changes ahead of next season.

Mohammedan SC, the debutants in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season, did hit a rough patch. Withering at the bottom of the standings in their inaugural season, their fans’ and supporters’ hopes for the squad to be the season’s dark horse continued to fade as time passed. Andrey Chernyshov, their former manager who guided them to their I-League triumph last season, only managed to win two games with the squad, both of which came in the away fixtures, before being replaced by 41-year-old Indian tactician Mehrajuddin Wadoo.

Unfortunately, the change of duties failed to turn around the club’s fortunes from the remaining games. The two away victories over Chennaiyin FC and Bengaluru FC were the only games in which they earned three points in their debut stint. A considerable lack of defensive solidity, lack of positional awareness, and individual mistakes only worsened the club’s situation further. Regrettably, the Black Panthers concluded the 2024-25 season at the bottom of the pile with 13 points from 24 games.

Fact sheet for Mohammedan SC

League position – 13

Total matches played – 24

Won – 2

Drawn – 7

Lost – 15

GF – 12

GA – 44

Points – 13

Top Performers in the ISL

Alexis Gomez

The Argentine trequartista was the club’s lone bright spot in an extremely challenging inaugural season. While the remainder of the squad was seen struggling to make a mark of their own, Gomez kept on delivering noteworthy performances even when the team was in shatters.

A natural attack-minded midfielder, his versatility to switch roles and play as a makeshift centre forward on the field made him an immediate favourite among the fans. The 24-year-old is known for his ball-playing skills, vision, and ingenuity to get past his opponents.

Even though Gomez has only contributed a goal and an assist in 21 games this season, he was the team’s lone orchestrator in the middle of the park. As the team concludes their inaugural season with a draw, Alexis Gomez’s impactful playmaking will undoubtedly be one of their key takeaways.

Mirjalol Kasimov

The deep-lying midfielder from Uzbekistan emerged as a clinical destroyer in the middle of the park for his club, showcasing exceptional skill and reliability throughout the season. With two crucial goals to his name, Kasimov demonstrated defensive prowess and made valuable contributions in attack, evidenced by his impressive 18 chances.

His impressive statistics further underscored his defensive capabilities, including 113 recoveries and 20 interceptions. His ability to win duels and tackles consistently, with 104 duels won and 31 tackles won, respectively, exemplified his persistence and determination on the field.

When it comes to set pieces, he has been their key man out there on the field. The defensive midfielder has also managed to deliver 72 accurate long balls throughout the season to give them an edge on set-pieces.

Under-performer of the season

Marc Andre Schmerbock

The Austrian striker came in during the January transfer window with the hope of turning the tables for the Black and White Brigade. However, his integration into the Mohammedan squad for the remainder of the season failed to yield the much-anticipated results.

The 30-year-old former Strum Graz striker, who has an Austrian Cup title under his belt, in his maiden season in India’s top division, scored only once in six appearances. The goal came against Punjab FC in their final game of the season, which ended in a 2-2 draw at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. This was his first goal in professional football since 2021.

Additionally, even though he was supposed to assume the role of Cesar Manzoki, Andre’s playstyle resembles more of a dummy runner, who creates space for his teammates. With his unremarkable figures, it will be intriguing to watch how he fits into his role ahead of the Super Cup 2025 campaign.

Top performances

Chennaiyin FC 0-1 Mohammedan SC

Bengaluru FC 0-1 Mohammedan SC

Mohammedan SC 2-2 Punjab FC

Manager’s report card

Mohammedan SC promoted Mehrajuddin Wadoo as their new head coach after the departure of their former Russian gaffer Andrey Chernyshov, who led them to their I-League triumph last season before getting promoted to the Indian top flight.

With Wadoo leading press conferences and taking charge of the team for the remainder of the season, he can’t be blamed for the team’s unaltered fate. Having said that, he was set up to fail with the minimal resources he was provided, as he came in at a point when the team was already in shambles.

The tactician tried a few different combinations, but nothing seemed to work due to their tactical disarray, which can be seen through their considerable lack of defensive prowess and unintentional swapping between player roles. For instance, Carlos Henriques Franca, who is more efficient as a center forward, was seen trying to fit into the role of a target man instead of Cesar Manzoki.

Lessons learned

One of the first and most essential takeaways for Mohammedan SC from the season was to pay their players, coaches, and staff properly. It is critical to have your house in order for success on the field. They only won twice this season and finished with the lowest points ever in the league standings. They also became the first-ever club in the history of the Indian Super League to go without a win at their home during the whole season.

It remains unclear as to how Mohammedan SC intends to resuscitate themselves. The Kolkata side needs to sign players who can smoothly adapt to the team’s demands, but it also relies on how the coach intends to use their tactical prowess.

This entails finding technically skilled players who can execute a possession gameplan while still being prepared to contribute defensively to the squad. They need to add a few clinical target men and goal poachers to the squad to compete with the ISL giants and ultimately get into better form for the upcoming season.

Fan’s view

The significant decline in the number of spectators after every game was something that no club official would even think of witnessing. Given the fact that a club like Mohammedan SC, who have got a history as vibrant as their other two counterparts of the Kolkata maidan, it was disheartening to see the club hit a rough patch.

The club, which had once dominated India’s domestic circuit, is now languishing at the bottom of the standings in the Indian top flight. Seeing the club go from winning the I-League 2023-24 to finishing rock bottom in their debut ISL season was a major shock. 

However, the players should be rewarded for giving their utmost in a terrible situation. Winning the games against Chennaiyin FC and Bengaluru FC at their home venues were the moments to cherish. Young Indian players like Makan Winkle Chothe deserve praise for their efforts.

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