The title is fairly apt for the bunch of transfers I made in a red haze after losing that badly to Kerala Blasters and right now I am stuck trying to fulfil a promise that I cannot seem to do and it will look like 2 players will leave in the next window.
Let’s walk through the lineup I most probably will be fielding in the new season in the Indian Super League:
A whole new defense, a new striker and some neat squad pickups too. Let’s go through them all:
Probably a signing I regret making because he wanted a player/coach role which occupied one of the coaching slots that is making the fulfilling of the promise even harder but his experience and having actual good Indian players in my squad was necessary. But for just 5k GBP from Bengaluru who wanted rid of him I think it’s an okay pickup who will probably transition to coach eventually.
A free pickup on an expiring contract. He also had a promise on the first team coaching staff which I was able to somehow fulfill so I hope he stays. Sometimes the importance of a good keeper is what I’ve always wanted. Shades of Chemjong from back in my first season in Aizawl. And also I wanted this guy even more after how bad my other foreign keeper pickup was and how bad my Indian keeper was too in the Super Cup Final.
Having a left footed player who wasn’t a fullback was hard for a while to find when I was here but now I finally got this guy. He is fairly adaptable to play both CB and LB which is definitely a big plus. He’s good physically along with his defensive partner who is one of the main talking points of this post.
Another pickup on a free after his contract expired. And another who I messed up because of his locked promise to improve the coaching staff. The problem is no matter who I search for I can only find a 2 star coach at the max in terms of interested people. So I have to be ready to let him and another guy I brought in go. He replaces the star man I sold to Mumbai City and after someone who I had earmarked as his replacement stunk up the Super Cup Final I had to get rid of him for this guy.
He replaces the homegrown player who I played in a similar role. I need everything to aim for at least a mid table finish/playoff push. And his age is a huge plus too being only 21.
Ah. Mistake number two. I really got to calm down from these red haze moments seriously. This guy was another free transfer after the end of his previous contract. He locked in the promise of an improved coaching team and again I have the same reason: I CANNOT FIND ANYBODY MORE THAN TWO STARS. He will be useful till he asks for an transfer in January.
Brought him up as a good squad option from Kerala FC in the I-League and his quality immediately takes a nosedive. Well here’s hoping his age and potential can work for him. Until then my foreign LB can maybe start to be honest.
After having a history of Pressing Forwards who aren’t really people who live on the last man I wanted someone who can be a poacher(Even if his finishing is only halfway to 20 which is the max) so I went for this guy. His high potential is what is making me trust him to begin with.
Probably the piece de resistance of the transfer window till now. Nifty pickup from Rajasthan United who definitely needs the step up to the ISL and given his quality it won’t be long before he gets snapped up by a bigger club but given their financial situations I got some more time with him really.
Honestly now that I’ve seen that I brought this guy in, I think I don’t have to start the LB from Kerala FC really. I could probably use him and the guy from Goa as my LB maybe to keep the defense a bit stronger.
Right now the only thing that I am seeing is that the 2 foreigners I brought in will most definitely be heading out the door in the next transfer window. The next post will be how this ragtag band of misfits gel in the freaking Durand Cup against the likes of Mumbai City FC among other teams.
For a reminder, the last time we faced off against them we were only able to win because they went down to 10 men. And also THEY came back to level the scores before we won after losing a man. So that is going to be interesting.