Five factors that helped Liston Colaco elevate his game this season

With seven goals, the 23-year-old is the highest-scoring Indian in ISL 2021-22.

Liston Colaco has been one of the standout performers of the Indian Super League (ISL) this season. After being signed by ATK Mohun Bagan for huge money last year, the young winger turned a lot of heads. However, he’s thrived under all the pressure and produced some of his best performances yet.

With seven goals scored, Colaco is the highest-scoring Indian player in the league. He’s scored in big-match situations against the likes of Hyderabad FC, Kerala Blasters, and SC East Bengal. The 23-year-old has been a breath of fresh air for Juan Ferrando’s side. His pace and dribbling ability have easily made him one of the most exciting players to watch in the ISL.

After impressing for Hyderabad FC last season, Liston has taken things up a notch this time around. Here we look at the five factors that have helped him do so.

5. Suitable system

By joining ATK Mohun Bagan last year, Liston knew he had arrived at a team packed with superstars. However, the Mariners ensured that he was treated as a big deal as well. Colaco initially struggled under Antonio Habas, who played him as a left wing-back. But he did reasonably well in that role too.

However, it was after Juan Ferrando’s arrival that he really started to shine. Ferrando, a more attack-minded manager, allowed Liston Colaco free rein on the left-wing. The ball is now played more often and the player is allowed to make clever off-the-ball runs in behind defenders. His suitability to the current system and formation is why the winger has been consistently putting in such bright performances.

4. Confidence in possession

Liston has always been a player who loves to keep the ball at his feet rather than cycling it immediately. At ATKMB, he’s gotten the license to try to do things with the ball rather than just pass it around. Colaco’s also developed more confidence in the way he operates with the ball at his feet.

The 23-year-old has been on fire with his impressive dribbling skills, getting the better of nearly every right-back he’s faced. He’s guaranteed to complete some exciting dribbles in every game. In fact, he has honed and improved his ability to carry the ball in the final third. In doing so, the winger has made himself a much bigger attacking threat. Any team that allows him too much space or time with the ball only rues their presence of mind.

3. Developing a never-give-up attitude

Liston Colaco has not only worked on his skills on the pitch but also worked on the mental aspect of the game. The winger often deploys a very high-risk playing style, which could go either way depending on games. As much as he can glide past players with his dribbles, Colaco also ends up losing the ball prematurely or missing chances every now and then.

However, the youngster has worked on building a strong character that doesn’t let him crumble when things aren’t going his way. Even in some games this season, despite not performing that well, Liston has scored out of nowhere and contributed towards goals. He’s built this obsessive habit of adopting a trial-and-error method, which has allowed him to maintain impressive consistency this season.

2. Better decision-making

Last season, Liston Colaco broke through as a highly-entertaining winger to watch because of his sheer pace and ability to run past players. However, his final product often left people wanting more. He clearly worked on that bit in the summer and came back a smarter figure in the final third for the Mariners. This season, Colaco has been much more self-aware in the attacking areas, knowing exactly when and where to make his passes or take shots.

He’s been able to create a lot of chances because of his tendency to be more composed with his passing rather than just whip crosses into the box. While there are still some finishing touches and improvements to be made in his final product, the winger's ability to improve from last season has helped him excel this time around.

1. Composure in front of goal

Liston has 10 goal contributions so far this season. He’s scored some exceptional long-range strikes, but also mixed it with some smart finishing inside the box, to show the diversity of his finishing range. Last season, the 23-year-old missed quite a few prominent chances in the ISL for Hyderabad FC, which somewhat dragged him back. However, this time around, he has improved upon that.

Colaco has been much more accurate with his shots and excellent in one-on-one situations with the goalkeeper. He’s been more mature and composed with his sight at goal, which has allowed him to take his game to another level and score more goals. While there are still some aspects of his finishing and shooting ability to improve – Liston seems to be on the right trajectory to be India’s next prominent goalscorer.  

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