ISL 2023-24 season review: NorthEast United

NorthEast United shocked other ISL outfits with their mentality and performance.

The 2023-24 Indian Super League (ISL) is done and dusted. It was a season of many stories, memories, ups and downs and so much more. But, amidst everything NorthEast United had their own story to tell that impressed many across the country.

It was a season that saw Highlanders go all out in terms of changing and chopping everything at the club. From the backroom staff to the head of the leadership, everything changed this season and the results were there for everyone to see.

The Highlanders appointed former Bengaluru FC man Mandar Tamhane as their new CEO followed by the appointment of head coach Juan Pedro Benali. Mandar and Benali changed the way NorthEast United operated both on and off the field.

Let us take a deeper look at NorthEast United’s 2023-24 ISL season.

Fact Sheet

Top Performers 

Parthib Gogoi

Parthib Gogoi was on fire this season as he recorded his best ever numbers in the ISL. The local lad also became NorthEast United’s poster boy this term. He racked up the most number of goal contributions in the Highlanders’ camp with five goals and four assists to his name. He was a driving force behind NorthEast United’s resurgence this season. Expect him to get even better in the next campaign.

Jithin MS

Jithin’s season is a story of two halves. He wasn’t consistent and did not perform well in the first half of the season, but everything changed after the resumption of the league in late January. He fired on all cylinders and was one of the fastest players across the league. His speed, coupled with his skills with the ball, made him a big threat for the opposition. He finished his season with four goals and three assists.

Nestor Albiach

Nestor came in and became one of the most influential players both on and off the pitch for the Highlanders. The Spaniard was NorthEast United’s creator-in-chief and was responsible for both creating and scoring goals. His creativity, positioning and ball control made him so special and different. Nestor scored five and created four goals throughout the season and helped NorthEast United script an iconic fightback.

Underperformer

Mirshad Michu 

Mirshad put up a very disappointing performance for the Highlanders under the sticks. He made silly mistakes and was mostly low on confidence. NorthEast United dropped a lot of points directly because of the mistakes made by the keeper. He has a lot of potential, but failed to live up to it and is therefore NorthEast United’s underperformer of the season. However, he did stage an exceptional performance in the last game against Odisha. But it was a little too late until then. 

Top Performances

NorthEast United 3-0 Odisha FC

NorthEast United 3-2 East Bengal FC

FC Goa 0-2 NorthEast United

Manager’s Report Card 

Juan Pedro Benali revolutionized everything at NorthEast United. He changed everything from top to bottom and gave the Highlanders a fresh look. His heroics earned him a lot of praise across the length and breadth of the country, making him one of the best managers to have ever come to India.

He is a strong believer of his ideologies and loves to win games. He doesn’t play to draw. All he needs is a win from his side. Benali came in at a time when NorthEast United were struggling in almost every aspect.

But, a lot has changed – both in terms of results and mentality at the club. He has changed the way people look and talk about NorthEast United. The 55-year old took the club to their first ever Durand Cup semi-final and came ever so close to making it to the ISL playoffs. If he can do so much in just one season, imagine what he can do if he is given more time.

Lessons to be learned

NorthEast United had a very good season in comparison to how they played in the last couple of editions. From being at the bottom of the table to contending for the playoffs, they came a long way this season. But, they need more to go the distance.

The Highlanders dropped 23 points this season in 22 games which speaks volume about their problems at the back. Goal-scoring was certainly not a problem for them, but holding on their lead was. They need to be more consistent at the back and come back stronger next season. 

Fan View

When you start supporting a football club, you don’t support it because of the trophies or a player or history. You support it because you found yourself in a place where you belong. Overall, this was a pretty underwhelming season for us which can also be taken as a learning experience.

The performing players should be retained and new quality domestic players are needed in the team. A long-term vision is required to bring consistency in the team. Compared to last season, we played very well and we could have qualified for the knockouts, but we bottled so many games from winning positions. This resulted in a seventh place finish.

This season, our attack and defence was very good. But we should sign some experienced Indian midfielders. The coach is doing well and I hope the players too. The new management is doing good. The performing players are getting contract extension, which is a very good sign for the future of the club.

WE WILL ALWAYS WALK THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.

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