Who are two ideal players for East Bengal to rotate Naorem Mahesh Singh with?

These two youngsters have caught the eye with their impressive skills.

East Bengal have had a stuttering start to the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) season by losing both their opening matches. They suffered narrow defeats to Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC, but it’s their lack of spark in the attack that has annoyed a lot of supporters.

A lot of East Bengal players are underperforming at the beginning of the new campaign, which includes winger Naorem Mahesh Singh. The 25-year-old has failed to rediscover that spark that saw him provide seven assists for the Red & Gold Brigade in the 2022-23 season and has looked out of touch in their first two matches of this campaign.

Naorem Mahesh has failed to get a single-goal contribution in the first two matches. Not only that but he’s only created one goal-scoring chance in both games and averages 20 passes per match. He’s just not being able to impose himself in matches anymore nor being able to provide that cutting-edge final passes.

The 25-year-old has not been a goal-scoring threat at all, having zero shot attempts in two matches and not even being able to make those clever off-the-ball runs that helped him excel in the past.

After seeing recent performances, Carles Cuadrat couldn’t be blamed for looking to bench Mahesh for a few matches before he rediscovers his spark and starts being a menacing threat in the attacking areas. Here are a few players he could be rotated within the next few matches to come.

PV Vishnu

Not many fans could’ve probably predicted that East Bengal’s first goal-scorer in the 2024-25 ISL campaign would be winger PV Vishnu. But the 22-year-old’s persistence and hard work have paid off, as he was in the right place at the right time for the goal against Kerala Blasters.

Vishnu didn’t get that much time to impress against Kerala, but that positive super-sub outing proved he deserves more playing time. Carles Cuadrat can start using Vishnu more prominent and potentially have him start over Mahesh considering how the 22-year-old has a similar playing profile as Singh.

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Vishnu is an unpredictable winger because of his clever movement and sudden burst of pace, while his game-reading ability allows him to get into the right positions in the final third too. Vishnu managed one assist in three Durand Cup games for East Bengal this season too and has been excellent in their Calcutta Football League campaign too.

He’s scored five goals in the Calcutta Football League and been a menacing threat with his creativity and work-rate in the wide areas. Vishnu can bring potentially help East Bengal penetrate the opposition backline better and be a breath of fresh air for their attacking line.

Sayan Banerjee

Sayan Banerjee had his initial breakthrough in the East Bengal squad last season when he played an important role in their Super Cup win and did well in the second half of the ISL campaign too. He scored a brilliant goal in the final game against Punjab FC, and the 21-year-old has maintained his upward trajectory development since.

The determined winger has performed well in the Calcutta Football League campaign for the Red & Gold Brigade, scoring five goals for them and producing some eye-catching performances with his brilliant dribbling technique and ability on the ball. Banerjee is yet to get any minutes in the ISL so far this season, but it’s high time that changes.

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The 21-year-old’s never-say-die attitude, progressive style and defensive qualities can make him a solid fit for that left-wing role for Cuadrat’s side. Banerjee isn’t afraid of making some risky forward runs and taking defenders on, troubling them with his pace and dribbling qualities.

He can add a bit more explosiveness to the East Bengal forward line with his persistent running and energetic presence, not only helping create chances but also opening up space for his teammates to cause trouble.

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