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Talking Points: Is Kibu Vicuna slowly finding his perfect starting XI?

Published at :August 8, 2019 at 4:58 PM
Modified at :December 13, 2023 at 1:01 PM
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(Courtesy : Souvik Banerjee/Khel Now)

Uttiyo Sarkar


The Mariners looked a changed side against ATK on Thursday.

Mohun Bagan took one step closer to the semi-finals of the Durand Cup by piping cross-city rivals ATK 2-1 at the Mohun Bagan Ground on Thursday. Goals from Fran Morante and Joseba Beita in either half sealed the deal for the Mariners, while Ashish Pradhan pulled one back for the ISL outfit in the 78th minute. Surabuddin Mollick was sent off in added-time, but the Mariners held on to get their win. Here are our talking points from the game:

5. Is Joseba Beita’s set-piece ability among Mohun Bagan’s biggest goalscoring threats?

While the season so far hasn’t exactly been perfect for Mohun Bagan, there have been some glaring positives Kibu Vicuna can take into account. The biggest of these promising signs has been midfielder Joseba Beita’s ability on the ball. Not only is he an extremely clever distributor, but his set-piece ability is unmatched in the Mariners' side.

The fact that he has two assists in his side’s four goals (also one goal) in the Durand Cup is exemplary of his excellent ability. He also assisted Morante’s goal with a perfectly whipped ball from a corner, while also getting into the act later in the second half with a powerful finish. The way in which Beita’s dangerous set-piece crosses are curled in perfectly makes them a dangerous goalscoring threat, allowing the Mariners to consolidate from corners and free-kicks.

4. Should Yumnam Gopi Singh and Ashish Pradhan be integrated into the ATK squad next season?

ATK didn’t exactly have the greatest of times in their first official Kolkata Derby against Mohun Bagan, but some players made a bright impression with their performances. Yumnam Gopi Singh looked especially good with his work on either wing, moving forward with intent and often making things tricky with his clever movement. The youngster often went past the Mariners' defenders with his flair on the ball, while rarely losing possession.

Pradhan worked as an industrious figure down the middle, helping rotate possession with his composed passes to his attackers. He also scored ATK’s only goal of the game with a determined run and clever finish. The duo showed a lot of heart and confidence against a daunting opposition. If Jose Antonio Habas was watching, he must’ve been impressed by what he saw.

3. Should Sankar Roy be rotated with Shilton Paul more often?

Sankar Roy was handed his first start of the season after the horror show of Shilton Paul’s errors against Peerless in the Calcutta Football League. The reserve goalkeeper was up against some intimidating attackers like Komal Thatal and Gopi Singh, but he never looked daunted by the occasion. Roy ended up making a few impressive saves from ATK’s strikes.

He continued his good work in the second half, making a few more decisive saves, including a stunning, stretched one to deny Thatal in added-time. Moreover, Roy’s passing and work in possession was also very sound, unlike the error-prone Paul. His superior decision-making also makes him a solid option to rotate with as the season moves ahead.

2. Was the mini-Kolkata Derby a big enough test for Salam Ranjan Singh before India camp?

Salam Ranjan Singh lined up to face the side who were his bitter rivals last season at East Bengal. He looked composed with his defensive work and rarely put in any aggressive tackles. The centre-back maintained his composure, enduring a lot of pressure throughout the game.

Even though he was at fault for losing the ball leading to the second goal, the poor condition of the pitch didn’t help his cause. Regardless, facing a high-voltage Bagan side with players like Alexander Romario Jesuraj and VP Suhair kept him on his toes. This was definitely a solid test against a speedy, physical Mariners side.

1. Is Kibu Vicuna slowly finding his perfect starting XI?

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There’s little doubt that the rigorous schedule is taking a toll on Mohun Bagan, forcing Vicuna to rotate his side every game. Of course, he received a reality check in the thrashing to Peerless, but the Durand Cup is helping him find his quintessential players for the I-League. The Mariners made quite a few changes from the CFL defeat, but looked a much more fluid side going forward and also were more defensively stable.

Mollick was an industrial figure down the right before an unfortunate red card, while Nongdamba Naorem’s trickery added a new swagger to their attack. Beita’s obviously their anchor in attack and Jesuraj was the X-factor down the middle.

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