Indian Super League 2020-21 Team Profile: SC East Bengal

All eyes will be on Robbie Fowler as fans will hope the Englishman leads them to a strong finish in their debut season in the top flight.

After a lot of speculation and saga of anticipation, SC East Bengal have made their way to the Indian Super League (ISL). The century-old Kolkata giants are all set to debut in the Indian top tier in the 2020-21 season. Although, things fell into place a bit late for the Red and Gold Brigade, they have done fairly well to build a fresh yet competitive roster. With Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler at the helm, East Bengal have roped in foreigners with prior experience of playing in England, something that did not come as a surprise to many.

All things considered, the management have utilized the Englishman’s global hold well to shape up a competent contingent and will depend on him to come up with a good show in their debut season. The new boss has a massive job on his hands, if he is to steer the Kolkata-based side to a playoffs finish.

Last Season’s Performance: I-League Runners-up

East Bengal had a sluggish start last season in the I-League, as they parted ways with head coach Alejandro Menendez in the middle of the campaign. At the same time, the Red and Gold Brigade officials were unhappy with their erstwhile investors, Quess Corp and were trying to find an exit from the deal with them.

East Bengal managed to win just six out of the 16 matches they played last season in the I-League. It was after Mario Rivera's appointment as the head coach that they returned to winning ways, finishing in second position as the league was called off due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Pre-season

East Bengal were one of the last squads to start their pre-season training in Goa. The one friendly they played against Kerala Blasters resulted in a 3-1 win. Anthony Pilkington scored twice and Yumnam Gopi Singh added another, as Gary Hooper scored a consolation for the Yellow Army.

Coaching Staff

With East Bengal debuting in the ISL this season, the new management have gone for a completely new technical setup with Robbie Fowler as the head coach, along with Anthony Grant and former India international Renedy Singh as assistant coaches.

The backroom staff includes Robert Mimms as goalkeeping coach, Terence McPhillips as set-piece coach, Michael Harding as physiotherapist, Joseph Walmsley as performance analyst and Jack Inman as sports scientist.

ALSO READ: East Bengal: All you need to know about the new coaching staff

Transfers

SC East Bengal have undergone a complete overhaul of their roster this season. Only three players have been retained from the previous campaign – Mirshad Michu (GK), Samad Ali Mallick (defender) and Abhishek Ambekar (defender). The Red and Gold Brigade completed as many as 25 new arrivals in the transfer window.

Ins

Goalkeepers:  Sankar Roy, Debjit Majumder, Rafique Ali Sardar.

Defenders: Daniel Fox, Scott Neville, Narayan Das, Mohammad Irshad, Gurtej Singh, Rohen Singh, Lalramchullova, Rana Gharami.

Midfielders: Sehnaj Singh, Matti Steinmann, Jacques Maghoma, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Wahengbam Angousana, Bikash Jairu, Yumnam Singh, Surchandra Singh, Loken Meitei, Mohammed Rafique.

Forwards: Aaron Amadi-Holloway, Balwant Singh, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Anthony Pilkington

Outs

Goalkeeper: L. Ralte, Rakshit Dagar

Defenders: Mehtab Singh, Borja Gomez, Marti Crespi, Kamalpreet Singh, Manoj Mohammed.

Midfielders: Pintu Mahata, Lalrindika Ralte, Kassim Aidara, Brandon Vanlalremdika, Naorem Tondomba Singh, Prakash Sarkar, Juan Mera Gonzalez, PC Rohlupuia, Boithang Haokip.

Forwards: Bidyasagar Singh, Jaime Colado, Marcos de la Espada, Ronaldo Oliveira.

https://youtu.be/gUwXdpcKBKY

Squad

Goalkeepers: Debjit Majumder, Rafique Ali Sardar, Mirshad Michu, Sankar Roy

Defenders: Daniel Fox, Scott Neville, Gurtej Singh, Anil Chawan, Rana Gharami, Samad Ali Mallick, Lalramchullova, Abhishek Ambekar, Narayan Das, Rohen Singh

Midfielders: Wahengbam Angousana, Surchandra Singh, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Bikash Jairu, Loken Meitei, Milan Singh, Aaron Amadi-Holloway, Mohammed Rafique, Haobam Tomba Singh, Anthony Pilkington, Jacques Maghoma, Senhaj Singh, Matti Steinmann, Yumnam Singh, Mohammed Irshad

Forwards: Balwant Singh, Jeje Lalpheklua, Harmanpreet Singh, Girik Khosla, CK Vineeth

Formation & Tactics

Although, Robbie Fowler preferred a three-man defence at Brisbane Roar last season, playing a 3-4-2-1 formation, he is expected to go for a four-man backline and a lone striker upfront with the squad he has at SC East Bengal. Thus, the team are expected to go with a solid 4-2-3-1 shape.

The centenary-old Kolkata giants are expected to play a holding game, trying to collect the opposition’s loose balls in midfield and distributing them to the flanks. The tendency to neutralize the opposition’s game in central midfield will be shown by the team.

4-2-3-1

Debjit Majumder will start in goal. Scott Neville and Indian defender Gurtej Singh are expected to start as centre-backs, along with Irshad and Danny Fox as full-backs. On the flanks, Fowler has a lot of options with Md. Rafique, Yumnam Gopi Singh, CK Vineeth and Bikash Jairu on the right and Pilkington on the left.

In midfield, Jeje is expected to be the creative playmaker with Maghoma and Matti Steinmann assuming the role of defensive midfielders. Upfront, Balwant Singh will be the lone striker.

3-5-1-1

If he opts for a three-man defence, Fowler is expected to make Fox play as a centre-back along with Gharami and Scott playing as full-backs. In the midfield, Steinmann will continue to play as a defensive screen along with Pilkington and Maghoma upfront in the central midfield. Irshad and Narayan Das are expected to occupy the wider positions along the flanks with Eugene playing just behind Balwant in the attacking third.

Strengths

Though things started a bit late for SC East Bengal in the transfer market, the Kolkata giants made intelligent moves ahead of their debut season in the ISL. The club signed six overseas players with an average age of 30. As things fell into place at the eleventh hour, the management have utilized the Englishman’s global connections quite well to shape the squad.

Weaknesses

Although, the squad consists of some quite experienced Indian players, their inconsistency may lead to a lack of depth. The ISL debutants also lack considerable options in all positions raising.

Players to Watch

Jacques Maghoma

The 33-year-old DR Congo international is a powerful attacking midfielder and is arguably the best signing made by SC East Bengal. Known for possessing plenty of creativity and flair to his game, Jacques Maghoma can act as a workhorse for his side, while adding that extra spark in attack with an eye for goal.

The tricky midfielder has the ability to glide past opponents, but is also a fighter who works hard defensively. Having played in the competitive environment of English football, Jacques Maghoma possesses the knowledge and experience needed to succeed in the ISL.

Anthony Pilkington

https://youtu.be/izIsklozkVQ

Pilkington spent a significant part of his career at Cardiff City in the Championship and is acclaimed for his flashy moves along the flank. The The Manchester United academy graduate played for Wigan Athletic last season and is expected to be the first-choice winger in the team.

Matti Steinmann

The 25-year-old defensive midfielder hailing from Germany was a regular on the Wellington Phoenix team-sheet, having made 24 appearances last season. The Hamburger SV academy graduate comes with experience of playing in the Bundesliga and is expected to add solidity to the Red and Gold’s defence.

The 6″2′ former Germany U-19 international possesses great ball control along with good distribution. He’s also known for his excellent work-rate. Matti Steinmann is, thus, expected to make his mark in the Indian top flight in the upcoming season, as he looks to showcase his dominance in the East Bengal midfield.

Fixtures

What to Expect

Its set to be a season with many ups and downs for SC East Bengal. The short period they have had to put things together for a debut appearance in the top flight means its very difficult to predict how they will perform and what their realistic expectations could be.

It might be a season of transition, but one that stands them in good stead for years to come. On the whole, a sequence of competitive performances which sees them in and around the top half of the table should be considered a good season.