ISL: Analysing Jamshedpur FC's Indian contingent ahead of ISL 2021-22

The seventh edition of the Indian Super League wasn't a delightful one for Jamshedpur FC. The team undoubtedly gave their best but couldn't recover much of their contribution on the pitch in form of points. The team finished 6th in the table with 27 points to its name and in the process scored 21 goals and conceded 22. The management has brought in a few legs to capitalize the best from the upcoming season of the ISL; be it an Indian or a foreigner. Let's have a look at their Indian contingent before the start of the season and talk about their strengths and weaknesses.

STRENGTH

Jamshedpur FC's strength lies in the fact that the team comprises many promising youngsters. Be it players who have recently joined the team or the ones who were already there last season, the fantastic blend of these youngsters with their foreigners will give the team a shape which was probably desired by head coach Owen Coyle. The team enjoys the services of Mobashir Rahman, Boris Singh Thangjam, Jitendra Singh (Jitu), Narender Gahlot, Komal Thatal and Ishan Pandita alongside heavyweights such as Nerijus Valskis, Peter Heartly, Alex Lima and Greg Stewart. If these forces combine on the pitch, it may so happen that the opposition goes through a nightmare that evening. Lastly, they have that squad depth required to emerge victorious.

WEAKNESS

Talking about Jamshedpur FC's weakness, one thing might worry their fans. Although as mentioned earlier about the brilliant profiles they possess, a few of their youngsters enjoyed very less game-time last season. Yes, a preseason can develop a player a lot, but less game-time last season may have an effect in the first few matches. In fact, they're also expected to miss the services of an influential player, Farukh Choudhary, which may worry the gaffer. This season they have to defend well compared to the previous season where they conceded more than they scored. Apart from these, there aren't many weaknesses in the side.

3 KEY INDIANS TO LOOK FORWARD TO

The 3 key Indian footballers to look forward to are Mobashir Rahman, Ishan Pandita and Anas Edathodika. Starting with Mobashir Rahman, the 23-year-old had played 19 matches last season for the Men of Steel. Though he is said to be a left-winger, last season he was used mostly as a central defensive midfielder. The charming performance last season may earn the lad a chance in the starting line-up this season as well. The next name on the list is Ishan Pandita. A prolific performer on the pitch, Pandita can be the best signing of Jamshedpur FC this season. Last season, the lad joined FC Goa from Spanish side Lorca. He went on to score 4 goals in 12 appearances in the Indian Super League. An attacking force of Greg Stewart, Ishan Pandita and Nerijus Valskis shall be good enough to steal the crown, what do you think?

The last name on the list would be of Anas Edathodika, the 34-year-old who has played close to 300 matches in his career. He can be easily said to be the most experienced Indian custodian of the Jamshedpur FC side and will be hoping for a comeback this season after he failed to get himself a club last season due to an injury.

3 YOUNG INDIAN FOOTBALLERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON

As the core of this Jamshedpur FC team is studded with youngsters, it is expected there will be a few exciting names to look forward to in this list. The 3 youngsters to keep an eye on will be Narender Gahlot, Jitendra Singh and Boris Singh Thangjam. Starting with Narender Gahlot, he's the only one footballer from the above-mentioned names who got the most game-time in the previous edition of the ISL. He played 10 matches last season where he was mostly used either as a right-back or left-back and is expected to do the same this time too. The second name here will be of Jitendra Singh or Jitu (as he is referred to). The 20-year-old's performance in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup really impressed the Indian football vertical. The youngster went on to captain the Jamshedpur FC side in the 130th edition of the Durand Cup held in West Bengal a few weeks back. He played 9 matches last season where mostly he came on as a substitute. As the number of on-pitch foreigners have been reduced, it may so happen that he will be featured in most of the games for the Men of Steel this time around. Lastly, Boris Singh Thangjam. The young right-back showed promise since the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 and three years down the lane he has earned himself a place in the ISL. He played just 3 matches last season, 2 for ATK Mohun Bagan and 1 for Jamshedpur FC, but his quality is expected to speak for him this season and probably he'll earn more game-time this time around.

Whom do you think will be the best Indian footballer for Jamshedpur FC?

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