How Panagiotis Dilmperis can get best out of Sahal Abdul Samad at Mohun Bagan?

Sahal Abdul Samad could be an important player for the Mariners next season

Panagiotis Dilmperis faces a challenging first season as the head coach of Mohun Bagan, who are definitely going to be pushing hard to win the 2026-27 Indian Super League (ISL) title.

After having done a pretty admirable job as the coach of Punjab FC in the last few seasons, the Greek gaffer now faces a much trickier task at getting the best out of this stacked Mohun Bagan squad.

While Dilmperis definitely has a ton of quality all across different departments at Mohun Bagan, he’ll also be tasked to get the best out of certain players who have been unable to fulfil their utmost potential at the club.

That definitely includes his challenge of dealing with midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad, who has had a pretty stop-start career with the Kolkata heavyweights so far.

Even though Sahal has won the ISL title with Mohun Bagan since joining them in 2023, he hasn’t really been the kind of impactful influence that many had hoped for him. Last season, the 28-year-old midfielder only started five matches in the ISL and recorded two goal contributions (one goal, one assist) in the competition.

The Indian midfielder knows that for him to sustain longevity in his career, he will need to produce better numbers for the Mariners.

Panagiotis showcased his quality in getting the best out of many Indian players at Punjab FC in the last few years. Now, it’ll be on him to also help Sahal find the strengths in his system and thrive for the Mariners.

Here, we look at the ways how the Greek coach could help get the best out of the stylish Indian midfielder at Mohun Bagan.

Find his best position

Panagiotis will probably need a few good weeks of tracking Sahal’s performances in training and matches before he can even realise what his best role can be for Mohun Bagan going forward.

The 28-year-old midfielder is likely to be extensively used at the Durand Cup by the gaffer, and that can be a pretty ideal platform for him to make a few experiments with the India international in finding his best role.

Sahal is a pretty versatile player who can play basically anywhere in the midfield and has even been used out wide on a few occasions in his career. However, the Indian midfielder’s best position in Dilmperis’ system will probably be that of the midfield pivot if he’s able to play as a floating midfielder who is given the license to move around to put pressure on opponents.

Samad is really good when it comes to pressing opposition players, excelling at winning the ball back in promising positions to trigger counter-attacks. He is also technically gifted, being able to dribble past players and link up smartly with his teammates to help create more chances.

Once Dilmperis can realise which position in his formation can help extract the best qualities in Sahal’s games, he should be able to inspire the midfielder to be a proactive, efficient figure who can be a bigger influence in Mohun Bagan’s midfield.

Not constantly changing his roles

While Sahal can operate in a number of different positions for Mohun Bagan, Dilmperis might end up watering down his threat for the Mariners if he continues swapping him in different positions.

After finding the perfect role for the 28-year-old midfielder at Mohun Bagan, the Greek coach also has to be aware of not wasting him in other positions in his system.

Sahal might be able to operate as a no.10 or even as a makeshift winger, but if Dilmperis keeps playing him there – then that could end up having a negative impact on the midfielder.

Even if the 28-year-old is mostly used in a substitute role, he needs to be played in a single position consistently for him to be able to make a bigger impact for the Mariners going forward.

He cannot be brought on as a substitute to give more breathing room to a winger or someone like Miguel Figueira, who is likely to operate as the primary no.10 for the Mariners going forward. The best way to utilise the Indian midfielder would be to allow him to play in the no.8 role, giving him the confidence to neutralise the threat of opposition midfielders and also increase the driving nature of Mohun Bagan going forward.

Allow him freedom in opposition half

Sahal Abdul Samad is the kind of player whose gameplay is severely impacted if he’s not allowed to operate with a good bit of freedom in the opposition half. He is defensively pretty good, managing 25 possession recoveries and 13 defensive contributions in the 2025-26 ISL – but his best is probably when he’s on the ball and able to move forward.

Sahal is capable of troubling opposition players with his intense pressure, which often helps him regain the ball inside the opposition half. If Dilmperis gives him the license to play with that kind of motivation and proactiveness in the opposition half, then Sahal can really thrive under the new gaffer’s system.

Samad needs to be given motivation to make runs into the final third, including late runs into the box, to enhance their goal-scoring with his crisp finishing. If he is allowed to play with quite a lot of freedom, Sahal can be a tenacious figure in Dilmperis’ midfield and help his side pose a bigger threat to the opposition goal.

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