ISL 2018 | Studs and Duds after Phase 3 of Indian Super League

Balwant Singh- Scoring hasn’t been ATK’s forte this season so far, and if not for Steve Coppell’s masterful strategies and Manuel Lanzarote’s unparalleled genius, the club would have surely been lingering in the bottom half by now. But, when your forwards could score only 10 goals in 12 games, individual talents don’t matter and Balwant Singh’s continuous disappointing presence proves that aptly. With Kalu Uche and Emiliano Alfaro injured, the Indian forward has been Coppell’s only natural option up front and he has been calamitous. In 12 matches, Balwant has taken 12 shots scoring only once this season and his lack of confidence was summed up in ATK’s match against Bengaluru FC where Balwant missed numerous one-on-one chances. Even his selection in Stephen Constantine’s Indian squad for Asian Cup has been largely criticized.

Slavisa Stojanovic- The fact that Slavisa Stojanovic still leads the scorers’ list for Kerala Blasters with three goals and one assist from 10 games pretty much sums up their season. With David James’ public displeasure with Matej Poplatnik that led to the striker being benched, it was the right time for Stojanovic to steer Kerala’s ship. However, the Serbian has been as frustrating as any forward could be with his dry spell. Playing a free role up front, Stojanovic is the filter that screens every attacking move for Kerala and his indecisiveness in the attacking third has been Kerala’s biggest problem so far, this season. While the lack of a clinical striker in Poplatnik alongside him could be a problem for the Serbian, his movements haven’t been very convincing either.

Sanjiban Ghosh- In a bid to freshen up things just for refreshment’s sake, John Gregory had decided to hand in Sanjiban Ghosh a place between the sticks, which turned out to be his worst move ever. Starting his campaign against a harmless Kerala Blasters, where the match ended goalless, the former Dynamos custodian was not called into action much and it proved to be a curse for him. It is because Chennaiyin’s next match was against ATK that ended up being a five-goal thriller and the Marina Machans were on the losing side of the 3-2 result. It shattered Sanjiban’s confidence, which was evident in the very next match against Mumbai where Gregory’s side lost 2-0. Sanjiban was benched following that match, although Kamaljit Singh’s re-inclusion didn’t make much of a difference as Chennai lost to Delhi 3-1.

Federico Gallego- The Highlanders were one of the most consistent sides when the league began having just two draws and one loss in the opening two phases. However, the slow buildup play and clinical finishing have finally been checked by their opponents in phase three with Eelco Schattorie’s men drawing thrice this time before succumbing to a massive 5-1 defeat at the hands of FC Goa. While Bartholomew Ogbeche has been their top scorer, Gallego has been their lynchpin. The attacking midfielder fills the void between deep midfield and attack efficiently and could play a creator, as well as a dasher on the counter. He has scored twice and created five times so far, and with Juan Mascia and Ogbeche in form, the last phase before the playoffs should see the Uruguayan star finish on a high. 

Ferran Corominas- Everyone on this list has been a forward and if there is one example to group all their qualities into one, it would FC Goa’s Corominas. The most naturally gifted striker in the league given the fact that he has never ever run out of form, Corominas is pretty much the culmination of the best qualities of all the above forwards. He has pace, he can be brilliant in hold-up plays, he excels in playing one-touch passes to lose his marker in the blink of an eye, and most importantly, he hardly misses his target from inside the box. Sergio Lobera’s go-to man for any situation, the Spaniard can automatically make his teammates notch up a level with his vision and quick thinking in pressure situations. It won’t be surprising if he ends up winning the golden boot.