Why next season is make or break for Jobby Justin at Chennaiyin FC

The striker is returning from an ACL injury that has kept him out of action for nearly a year.

Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Chennaiyin FC recently acquired the services of Indian forward Jobby Justin on a two-year contract. The striker is the club's fifth domestic signing of this summer, after Salam Ranjan Singh, Narayan Das, Debjit Majumder and Deepak Devrani.

Aged 27, Jobby hasn't played competitive football for over a year, as an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury ruled him out of ISL 2020-21, while he was at ATK Mohun Bagan. Prior to that, he had made 10 appearances for ATK in ISL 2019-20, also winning the league title with them that season.

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In this article, Khel Now analyses why the forthcoming 2021-22 season is highly important for the Kerala-based player.

Background

Joby Justin was born in Trivandrum. Growing up, the striker had no intention of pursuing a professional career in football, despite his ability. But, with time, he had become a common name in the Kerala football circle. He went on to represent teams in Kerala, including their state team in the Santosh Trophy. 

His first big move came when Kolkata giants East Bengal snapped him up in 2017. He scored on his debut for the club in a Calcutta Football League (CFL) game. However, for the better part of the season, he was sparsely used. Circumstances and injuries to key players meant Jobby was given more chances to represent the club in the I- League by head coach Khalid Jamil. Two goals in his first two games and a few more impressive performances made him a regular starter towards the end of the season.

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The striker, who made his national team debut in 2019, had a breakout season in 2018-19 under Jamil. After Alejandro Menendez took over the club, Jobby's game elevated massively. He contributed to 12 goals, but his temperament remained a problem. 

In 2019, the Kerala striker moved to ATK, but foreign strikers being preferred to start restricted him to 10 appearances and one goal. When ATK and Mohun Bagan merged in 2019, he chose to sign for the newly-formed ATK Mohun Bagan.

And now, the striker has left ATKMB to get back to form, and fitness at Chennaiyin FC.

Key aspects of his performances

Jobby Justin has been praised throughout his career for his work-rate and for being a team player. He is known to be a hardworking player who gives his 100% in every single game. Jobby takes his chances well, presses hard and can link up quite well. Also, he has quite a few passes in his locker, but he can look to be more incisive here. 

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He likes to play quick passes to keep the attack going and can be a threat in attacking transitions. But, his best actions take place inside the box. He can create shots for himself and can shoot from a variety of positions. The 27-year-old also has an array of shots in his locker.

Defensively, he presses a lot, likes to get stuck in and defend aggressively, attempting duels. His aggressive nature has been cited as a reason for his some of his issues on the pitch and a lack of composure. 

However, there are a few others areas as well where he struggles. It hasn't been easy for him to hold up the ball. The forward is not a good ball carrier either and in this way there is a scope for improvement.

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Other aspects

Tactically, Chennaiyin’s coach Bozidar Bandovic likes to play a 3-5-2, with an emphasis on creating chances through the wing-backs and the strikers helping out a lot defensively. This bodes well with Jobby Justin’s best qualities ie: in-the-box game and work-rate. So, he can turn out to be a nice option, but there seems to be a lack of trust in Indian forwards by ISL clubs. It hence remains to be seen if Jobby will be a sure starter.

Additionally, he is returning from a serious injury. Recovering from an ACL needs to be handled carefully because of its seriousness and chance of recurrence. Players like Hector Bellerin have lost their mojo since returning from an ACL injury and it is to be seen how Jobby Justin returns from it. 

So, to sum it up, Jobby Justin can be a useful pick for Chennaiyin. His style, kind of suits the philosophy of the new coach. He can be a great Plan B off the bench if Chennaiyin decide to not start him regularly. It is going to be exciting to see him get back on the pitch, in what is going to be a pivotal season for him.

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