Top five things SC East Bengal need to do to bounce back next season

The Kolkata giants finished at a lowly ninth place in their maiden season in the league.

In their debut Indian Super League (ISL) season, everything that could go wrong went wrong for SC East Bengal. Muddled recruitment, a lack of planning or organization and much more came back to haunt them in the campaign. Even Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler’s experience and pull power didn’t help.

They ended up finishing ninth, only winning three out of their 20 games. They drew eight matches and lost their final game by conceding six goals to bottom-placed Odisha FC. In the end, it was evident that many changes were necessary. In the midst of the controversy regarding their future with Shree Cement, East Bengal have to concentrate on drawing up solid plans for next season.

There will be a lot of changing around in the squad and possibly the support staff. They’re guaranteed to have a new-look next season, as they look to compete for a playoffs spot. On that note, here are five things SC East Bengal must do to turn things around next season:

5. Recruit better domestic stars

First and foremost, SC East Bengal must solve the problem that’s written on the wall. Last season, their domestic core was just not good enough. It consisted of players either well past their prime or youngsters with little experience.

The Red & Gold Brigade can’t afford to give opportunities to players based on their past success. They’ll have to look to sign either free agents released by other ISL clubs or look into the I-League. Better scouting can also help them rope in some local players from West Bengal.

Almost 70% of their domestic core needs major upgrading for SCEB to compete with the other clubs. They must sign hungry, hard-working talents ready to work their socks off rather than those happy with collecting their pay cheques.

4. Solve their goalkeeping dilemma

Among all their problems last season, SC East Bengal’s goalkeeping rotation confused many. They started the campaign with Sankar Roy, before Debjit Majumder replaced him after his injury. Despite doing comparatively well, East Bengal then replaced Debjit with the experienced Subrata Paul after the winter transfer window.

Safe to say, this bizarre rotation didn’t work at all. They still conceded many goals and lost the majority of their games. While almost every other top ISL side stuck with one goalkeeper throughout the season, East Bengal’s policy was always setup to fail. Next season, they must figure out and anoint their undisputed No.1 from the get-go.

They can’t be switching goalkeepers all the time as it also has an effect on the defenders. The Red & Gold Brigade must anoint a commanding, sturdy goalkeeper to marshall their backline and get more clean-sheets.

3. Sign a clinical No. 9

The root of East Bengal’s issues last season was the lack of a proper No.9. Balwant Singh failed to capitalize on his opportunities. Jeje Lalpekhlua was nowhere near fit enough to start games. Anthony Pilkington failed to impress – as did Jacques Maghoma.

The reason behind Mumbai City FC and ATK Mohun Bagan’s success last season was their clinical forwards. East Bengal need a Roy Krishna or an Adam le Fondre of their own next season. They’ll probably have to splash out a lot of cash to get a classy striker like that, but it could pay dividends.

If they recruit a striker who can torment defenders with his movement and finish off chances ruthlessly, they’ll automatically win more games. They need someone to turn all those draws into wins and pounce on whatever chances are created. If they're able to sign such a quality striker, their fans should have plenty to smile about next season.

2. Replace Robbie Fowler

It’s safe to say that the Robbie Fowler experiment at SC East Bengal failed. In their attempt to make a big entry into the ISL, they brought the former Liverpool man aboard to help make them attractive. However, Fowler’s management was just not up to the mark.

The Red & Gold Brigade played an ineffective brand of possession-based football that didn’t get the results required. His poor selection choices and consistent rotation didn’t help and neither did his frequent public outbursts to criticism. Fowler’s public comments about the domestic core demotivated the them and contributed to poor performances.

SC East Bengal need someone who can not only make them play better football, but also be a well-liked figure among the players. They require a quality manager with the experience to thrive in the ISL, create a winning mentality within the squad and help them succeed.

1. Adapt the ‘Spanish philosophy’

If East Bengal are to replace Fowler – who are the options? The bigger question is what kind of coach should they look for? Going by the ISL’s history, going for an experienced Spanish manager can bring big rewards.

In the last three seasons, every single ISL winner has been managed by a Spanish coach. Be it their pragmatic thinking or excellent man-management ability, Spanish managers seem best-suited to crack the ISL code. However, SCEB’s management needs to do a lot of research for a top quality coach.

They have to bring in someone who can turn the gloomy air around the club. The new manager will also be responsible for unearthing the very best out of the players and make them play to their fullest potential. If they can replace Fowler with an experienced, tactically adept manager – the Red & Gold Brigade can take massive leaps forward next season.

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