ISL: Shield winners Mohun Bagan eye league title with Jose Molina at helm

Mohun Bagan SG, the winners of the ISL Shield in 2023-24, will look to deliver an improved performance in the forthcoming season.

With many new signings, Mohun Bagan will look for a winning start in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 when they take on Mumbai City FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Friday.

Last season, Mohun Bagan prevailed on the final day of the league phase as they pipped Mumbai City FC to win the ISL Shield. The Mariners needed a 48-point haul to beat the Islanders to the title.

Mumbai City FC, however, defeated Mohun Bagan 3-1 in the ISL final to avenge their league phase loss.

In the new season, Mohun Bagan will be confident of a good show following their runners-up finish at the recently concluded Durand Cup.

Mohun Bagan's new foreign recruit Jamie Maclaren is expected to debut on Friday. He has not played a match yet. He did physical training and situation practices ahead of the ISL 2024-25 opener.

Aside from the ISL title, Mohun Bagan will also look for a good show in the AFC Champions League. After playing the ISL opener, they will run into Tajikistan's Ravshan Kulob in their first Group A clash at the same venue on September 18.

In a span of five days, they will face off against NorthEast United in an away clash.

Coach Jose Molina, who joined the Mariners in June this year, will look to win more trophies after a rather successful season in his first year at the Kolkata club.

The former Atletico Madrid and Deportivo de La Coruna goalkeeper returned to the Mohun Bagan SG fold after leading ATK in 2016 in his first spell.

His latest stint with Mohun Bagan is also his first coaching stint since 2018. With a pool of talent he assembled, Molina will look to amplify Mohun Bagan's chances of winning more trophies this season.

But his start to the season did not start on a promising note as his side lost in the Durand Cup final. However, with Maclaren, a player with proven goal-scoring ability, a potential replacement for Armando Sadiku, the Mariners will love to see the Australian hitting the net more often.

However, Molina will need to elevate the game of Indian player Liston Colaco who failed to impress in the Durand Cup. Likewise, the club's new signings Tom Aldred and Alberto Rodriguez struggled to adapt to Indian conditions during the Durand Cup.

Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan's defence will be monitored closely after Anwar Ali moved to East Bengal following a transfer controversy.

Mohun Bagan squad for 2024-25:

Goalkeepers: Vishal Kaith, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Syed Zahid Hussain Bukhari

Defenders: Alberto Rodriguez, Asish Rai, Dippendu Biswas, Subhasish Bose, Sumit Rathi, Tom Aldred, Amandeep Vrish Bhan

Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Deepak Tangri, Glan Peter Martins, Abhishek Dhananjaya Suryavanshi, Greg Stewart, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lalengmawia Ralte, Muhammed Ashique Kuruniyan, Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh

Forwards: Dimitrios Petratos, Jason Cummings, Jamie Maclaren, Suhail Ahmed Bhat

Who could be Mohun Bagan's key player?

Maclaren could be Mohun Bagan's most vital player this season. The Australian player, who has the record of scoring the most number of goals in the A-League, has a knack for scoring frequently. With his vast wealth of experience playing in the A-Leaue, the Australia international will aim to triumph in India.

Maclaren played for Melbourne City FC, Scotland’s Hibernian FC, and Darmstadt 98 in Germany before signing for Mohun Bagan.

What to expect?

Molina is a coach of the Spanish style of possession-based football. With his game revolving around the creative strength of midfielders, Molina's coaching philosophy aligns with Mohun Bagan.

Molina's side has already demonstrated their ability to dominate the game keeping the ball more on their feet and creating scoring chances through regular build-ups.

The Spaniard's favourite formation is a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Sahal Abdul Samad and Anirudh Thapa turning out to be pivotal. Their presence will benefit Mohun Bagan. Manvir Singh and their Australian troika of Dimitrios Petratos, Jason Cummings, and Maclaren will look to amplify Mohun Bagan's scoring chances this season.