Top five mistakes of Delhi Dynamos that Odisha FC should learn from

Fall of the Delhi-based outfit serves as a cautionary tale that must not be repeated by the new entrants as they embark on a new journey.

Football enthusiasts in Delhi were met with some terrible news earlier in August, after it was confirmed that the Indian Super League outfit, Delhi Dynamos FC would be shifting their base to Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The move came to fruition after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Government of Odisha and Delhi Soccer Private Limited, owners of Delhi Dynamos FC. The Dynamos will now ply their trade at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, being rebranded as Odisha FC from next season onward.

However, there can be a few lessons that the management of the newfound ISL team can learn from their prior experience and overall handling of matters relating to fans, players and finances.

Here are the five mistakes of Delhi Dynamos that Odisha FC can learn from in the future.

5. Must allow Josep Gombau time to build a settled squad

Gombau has been retained by the management for the upcoming ISL 2019-20 season

Josep Gombau was appointed as the head coach ahead of the start of the previous campaign and his was the fifth appointment in five years at the club. Clearly, the impatience at the managerial level and the frequent appointments led to an unsettled side and a resulting loss of identity on the pitch. It was widely believed that letting Gianluca Zambrotta leave was a grave mistake back in 2016, after the Italian guided his side all the way to the playoffs, after playing some sensational attacking football.

This is one of the most crucial mistakes that Odisha FC must not repeat and must allow their current tactician a couple more years at least to take the club in the right direction. Since the arrival of the 43-year-old, the team has shifted to a more possession-based playing style which is easier on the eye, despite the unfavorable results that are expected with a change in philosophy.

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4. Need for better community engagement and fan relations

One of the chief reasons for the fall of Delhi Dynamos was the diminishing support and the visible lack of attendance for the home fixtures. There are various factors which were responsible for the lack in numbers. The club failed to pack in the crowds at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which had a capacity of 60,000. There was a lack of atmosphere on matchdays, which the club attributed to the authorities not giving permission to decorate the stadium or put up banners.

Odisha FC must learn from their mistakes and must do better when it comes to appeasing the local fan base and must grab the opportunity to attract large crowds in a region which will taste ISL football for the first time. There are many ways in which the management can improve their community engagement, such as sending out press releases in the local language, social welfare programmes and much more. It is imperative for Odisha to bring the best flavours of football, so the fans can feel connected with the club and support it passionately in every home fixture.

3. Better youth setup to utilize the untapped potential of local talent

Odisha FC must utilize the local talent in the region to their advantage and must setup a good scouting network and youth developmental programmes to hunt for talented youngsters. Since the shifting of base, Delhi had uprooted most of their youth programmes in the city for logistical reasons, leading to a lot of negative reaction from the local fan base.

The new outfit must undo this damage to their image and invest their resources to develop the young local talent in Odisha and contribute in the overall improvement of the infrastructure.

2. Must use the improved financial situation to make statement signings

Managing Director of the Odisha FC, Rohan Sharma, had informed in an interview that the lucrative offer put on the table by the Government of Odisha included many facilities such as providing training grounds at no cost, for which the management was otherwise paying huge sums in Delhi. With the resulting ease in finances, the hierarchy must plan to invest resources to strengthen the squad and must put their faith in domestic players.

The first step must be to induct some of the best Indian players to the playing roster. Currently, the squad has only one member of the senior national team from Igor Stimac’s setup in Vinit Rai, which is hurting the team.

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1. Must hold on to star players and find adequate replacements

On the two occasions a Delhi Dynamos player scored in double digits, they were sold in the very next season. Marcelinho scored 10 goals in 2016 for Delhi Dynamos and was grabbed by the erstwhile FC Pune City for the next campaign, where he went on to score 16 goals and made 11 assists in 33 fixtures. Kalu Uche was brought in as his replacement in 2017 and he scored 14 goals and provided two assists for the club, but in a similar fashion, was signed up by ATK in the next campaign.

Last season’s top scorer for Delhi Dynamos, Lallianzuala Chhangte has also departed the club for Chennaiyin FC, leaving Odisha FC lacking in the attacking department. The signing of Xisco Hernandez from Bengaluru FC was a positive one, but Daniel Lalhlimpuia now remains their best striking option. The recent loan signing of Aridane will provide further cover, but it’s a risky move nonetheless. The new outfit must bank on players who have established themselves in the ISL and need to hold on to their best performers in the future.