ISL 2018-19 Team Profile: Jamshedpur FC
(Courtesy : ISL Media)
The Men of Steel are being regarded as one of the best sides of ISL 2018-19.
After narrowly missing out on the playoffs in their debut season in the Indian Super League (ISL) last time around, Jamshedpur FC are raring to go into the season, aiming to do much better. The Men of Steel have made quite a few changes in the squad as well as in the coaching staff. The new head coach, Cesar Ferrando has promised the fans that he plans to bring a new exotic Spanish flavour to the team's football and the results they produced in their pre-season in Spain prove the same, as they even defeated the Atletico de Madrid ‘B’ team.
In the following article, we discuss Jamshedpur FC and their squad, the head coach, strengths and weaknesses before the commencement of the new campaign.
Last Season’s Performance
It was their debut term for the Men of Steel last season, where they missed out on the playoffs by finishing fifth in the table. In spite of having one of the best defensive records in the league, they missed the attacking prowess that other teams possessed, which ultimately led to them dropping many crucial points as they played out three goalless draws.
At the helm of the coaching staff last season for Jamshedpur was Englishman Steve Coppell (now coach of ATK) whose brand of football and selection of players in the backline like Subrata Pal, Tiri, Anas Edathodika, Andre Bikey and Souvik Chakrabarti made them a solid defensive unit, but upfront they lacked the firepower needed as the likes Kervens Belfort and Izu Azuka failed to deliver much-needed goals.
However, with the addition of winter signing Wellington Priori and the solid performances put in by other players, the team went on a three-match winning streak, but it was not enough as heavy defeats to Bengaluru FC and FC Goa at the end of the campaign cost them a position in the playoffs.
Pre-Season
Jamshedpur FC had set up their month long pre-season camp in Madrid, where they trained at the Los Angeles de San Rafael facility; the facility is famous for hosting the pre-season of La Liga giants Atletico de Madrid. They played a total of five preparatory matches, out of which they won three, drew one and lost one.
In one of the notable matches out of the five games, Jamshedpur defeated Mostoles Balompie as local boy Gourav Mukhi scored two goals in two minutes within 10 minutes of coming on the field as a substitute. The other notable match being the one against the Atletico de Madrid ‘B’ team where the Men of Steel won the match, thanks to the goal scored by one of the new Spanish imports in the team Sergio Cidoncha.
The Coach
Cesar Ferrando was appointed as the head coach of Jamshedpur FC for the upcoming season (Courtesy:Jamshedpur FC)
Jamshedpur FC appointed Cesar Ferrando at the helm of the coaching staff following the departure of Englishman Coppell. Fernando has had a decorated career as a player and a coach having managed teams such as Atletico Madrid, Valencia B, Elche, Albacete to name a few. His last assignment with a Spanish outfit was with La Nucia where he had an extremely successful stint.
Speaking ahead of his first season in-charge of Jamshedpur, the Spanish gaffer has said that he hopes to add a unique flair and style of play to the team, which will make them a lot more competitive in the league as well as being a brand of football which the fans will love to watch.
Transfer Dealings
Ins
The squad went through a massive overhaul this summer, which saw quite a few players from last season depart and a number of new faces were added. First and foremost, the area where the squad lacked last season the most was the attack, which saw the addition of Australian legend and former Everton player Tim Cahill, who has had a highly-decorated career and brings vast experience to the team. Also joining the squad this season is the Spanish quartet of Sergio Cidoncha, Pablo Morgado, Carlos Calvo, and Mario Arques, all of whom used to play in different clubs in the Spanish Segunda Divison B.
Joining the Armada are also the likes of former Tata Football Academy (TFA) graduates -Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Sanjay Balmuchu and Raju Gaikwad. Pratik Chaudhari, Dhanachandra Singh and Michael Soosairaj (I-League Midfielder of the Year 2017-18) will also don the red and blue jersey this season. Also, three players from the Jamshedpur ‘B’ team; namely Gaurav Mukhi, Vishal Das and Mobashir Rahman have been promoted to the senior team.
Jamshedpur have also signed the Indian Arrows duo of Aniket Jadhav and Amarjit Singh Kiyam who will join the team from the 2019-2020 season.
Outs
So many incomings guaranteed a lot of players from last season to be dropped and with the appointment of a new head coach, it also saw a few fan-favourites from the last campaign depart.
The list of departures includes, Kervens Belfort, Izu Azuka, Siddharth Singh, Sanjiban Ghosh, Trindade Goncalves, Wellington Priori, Mehtab Hossain, Ashim Biswas, Andre Bikey, Shouvik Ghosh, Souvik Chakrabarti, Sameehg Doutie, Anas Edathodika and Sairuat Kima.
Squad
Jamshedpur FC full squad for 2018-19 season
Formation & Tactics
The teams which Ferrando has coached earlier, used to play an attacking brand of football with the focus being more on short passing so as to maintain possession. His style also involves a lot of aggressive pressing high up the pitch, so as to regain possession in advanced areas in the opposition half.
Jamshedpur FC probable lineup for this season
The most likely formation which Fernando will employ is the 4-2-3-1. Tiri, the captain of the team would be partnered by new signing Pratik Chaudhari in the heart of the back four, while Raju Gaikwad and Dhanachandra Singh are likely to play as attacking full-backs. While protecting the net would be last season's Golden Glove awardee Subrata Pal.
Memo Moura will retain his position in the middle of the park from last season and is likely to be joined by new Spanish import Mario Arques. Jerry Mawia, the FPAI Young Player of the Player and Michael Soosairaj are likely to be the two attacking wingers, while Sergio Cidoncha is set to play the #10 role, linking the midfield to the attack and also serving as the playmaker. Lastly, upfront would be undoubtedly the biggest signing of the ISL this season, Tim Cahill serving as the target man.
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Strengths
The revamped Jamshedpur team under the guidance of Fernando look a very strong side, bolstered by the fact that most of the key players from last season like Subrata, Tiri and Memo have been retained. Also, another big strength is the addition of Aussie legend Cahill, whose vast experience of the game will aid the team in a lot of ways.
Weaknesses
The addition of so many new players to the squad, also brings forth the question of team chemistry as well as the time needed for the new players to gel together. But, as the ISL is a pacy league where fixtures come thick and fast, Fernando’s men will not have much time to settle in and this may prove a hurdle.
Fixtures
Jamshedpur FC ISL 2018-19 first phase fixtures
Players to Watch
Tim Cahill
Watch: Cahill is being regarded as arguably the most high-profile signing in the ISL this season
The Socceroos legend has been brought in to marshal the team’s attack this season. With his fantastic goalscoring record across the various leagues he has played in, he is sure to put in a good number of goals into the back of the net in the upcoming ISL season as well.
Tiri
The Spanish defender looks set to lead out his team again in the new season. The resilient, tall figure that he is, he surely makes a big difference to his side when he is on the pitch. Also his pace off the ball and his athleticism make him a nightmare for opposition attackers.
Gourav Mukhi
The local boy has been recently promoted to the senior team from the Jamshedpur FC ‘B’ team, following his exploits in the I-League 2nd Divison, where he was the top goalscorer in the group stage of the competition. He also impressed the gaffer a lot by scoring three goals in two pre-season matches. He is surely one to look out for in the upcoming ISL term.
Tickets
You can book tickets for Jamshedpur FC’s ISL campaign at PayTM & Insider.in
[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]What to Expect
With a new coach, who has some solid ambitions and new ideas, the revamped Jamshedpur side will be one of the dark-horses of the season. Expect a new style of exciting football with a top four finish on the cards, if all the players are able to click as expected. Also, with the constant support of their 12th man the Red Miners, the team wil be going all out for glory this season.
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