Five things Owen Coyle needs to do at Jamshedpur FC to achieve success

The Men of Steel missed out on the playoffs last season.

In recent years, Jamshedpur FC have remained a proper mid-table club in the Indian Super League. Despite showing tremendous promise, the Men of Steel somehow lose their way going into the business end of the league. Hence, they have not yet qualified for the playoffs in their brief history.

Last season they appointed Owen Coyle as head coach to right all the wrongs. Jamshedpur FC started strongly and were in the top four spots until the winter break. The Scotsman was helpless as he missed crucial players due to injuries during the most important phase of the league. Hence, they lost their way and eventually finished in sixth spot.

Here we analyze five factors that Owen Coyle should be aware of going into the new season to achieve success at Jamshedpur:

5. Should get a proper attacking midfielder

in India, Coyle is known for his heroics with Chennaiyin FC in the 2019-20 season. He joined the club in the middle of the campaign when they were at the bottom of the table and took them to the final. Although they lost the finale, his style of play was lauded by Indian football fans. Jamshedpur FC roped him in last season and they also saw a change in approach.

Though results were not exceptional, the philosophy was evident. One of the primary cogs in Coyle's gameplay is his attacking midfielder. The player who links the midfield with the attack. At Chennaiyin FC he had Rafael Crivellaro who was a perfect fit for his system, whereas at Jamshedpur FC he signed Alex Lima who is not a traditional No. 10. The Brazilian prefers a deeper creative role, but he tried his best in a more attacking system.

Hence, if Coyle manages to get the right personnel for that attacking midfielder role then things will get better for the Men of Steel. Because last season there were matches where Nerijus Valskis hardly got any supply. He had to drop deep to collect balls, leaving a void in the final third. That is something that Coyle would like to address in the transfer window.

4. Quality Indian signings

Over the years, Jamshedpur FC have been very particular about promoting players to the first-team from the Tata Football Academy. Youth development has been a big target for the Men of Steel. Last season, when Coyle came in, he made a few changes to the roster. He brought players like Farukh Chaudhury, Seiminlen Doungel, Boris Singh. Both Farukh and Doungel have had a tremendous impact, as they have added more impetus to the forward line.

Just like that the Men of Steel will have to pull off more transfers. They have to get some quality Indian players who can complement their foreigners. They should look for players who are not getting much game-time, but will be a perfect fit on their roster. Youth development is a long term process from which they will prosper in the future. But, they should look to make amends to their squad with some proven Indian talents.

3. Someone who can share the goalscoring burden with Valskis

Jamshedpur FC scored 21 goals last season and out of that eight goals were scored by their Lithuanian marksman Nerijus Valskis. The second-highest goalscorer was defender Stephen Eze. Both David Grande and Peter Hartley added two goals each. But, none of the Indians could score more than one goal last season.

Therefore, they need players who can support Valskis upfront and help him play more freely. Once you take the pressure of scoring goals from the Lithuanian, he will be a completely different player. A few days ago, Khel Now exclusively reported that Jamshedpur FC have signed former Kerala Blasters forward Jordan Murray.

Murray will add a lot of dynamism to the roster. The Australian finished as the top scorer for the Blasters last season with seven goals. He has shown that he can adapt to multiple systems and more importantly can bring players into the game with his excellent movement in the final third.

2. Getting the right blend of youth and experience

Jamshedpur FC have often relied on their foreign players for experience. The Indians are mostly inexperienced and young and they are guided by their foreign counterparts. However, the club have lacked the right balance in getting youthful exuberance alongside years of experience and leadership. The young Indian players often do not connect well with the foreigners and hence a senior Indian star may just help them get along nicely.

Sometimes, the presence of veterans changes the dressing room dynamics as well. Jamshedpur need some senior players to join the club in the upcoming season to maintain that fine balance on their roster. They need local veterans to guide the younger ones, as it helps the overall dressing room environment.

1. A proper pre-season to avoid injuries

Last but the most important point which Owen Coyle must implement is a proper prolonged pre-season ahead of the upcoming campaign. Last season the Men of Steel were unfortunate as they missed several players due to injuries. Starting from Nick Fitzgerald, David Grande to Peter Hartley and Narender Gahlot, all of them suffered injuries last season. Some of them were taking painkillers to play in games, while others were out on the sidelines hoping to recover as fast as possible.

Persistent injury concerns pegged them back at the business end of the league, as they lost ground in no time. These injuries and niggles are often an indication of a lack of proper pre-season preparation. Hence, Coyle will have to take extra precautions this season, while preparing his players.

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