Field Vision

The Marina Machans would be eyeing to end the ISL trophy drought this season.

The Indian Super League 2024-25 season kicks off tomorrow in Kolkata when Mohun Bagan Super Giant face Mumbai City FC in what is the replay of last season’s grand finale. Undoubtedly, both the Mariners and the Islanders will be hot favourites once again to reclaim the accolades they achieved last term, but a club from down south will also be a potential challenger for the trophies this time out – Chennaiyin FC.

Previous Season

The Marina Machans didn’t enjoy a top-notch season last time but somehow managed to sneak into the playoffs, courtesy of three influential wins at the fag end of the campaign. However, two disappointing defeats to FC Goa in the knockouts meant that their trophy ambitions came to an end. Chennaiyin FC have won the Indian Super League twice before, but have struggled in recent times. With Owen Coyle back at the helm, the outfit would want to embrace the accolades they once were familiar with.

Manager’s Profile

Owen Coyle is a familiar name in Indian football and knows the top tier like the back of his palm. Back in the 2019-20 edition, he led Chennaiyin FC to the final of the competition and also won the ISL Shield with Jamshedpur FC in 2021-22. He was re-appointed as their head coach last season but lacked a top-quality squad. A tactician who knows how to bring out the best from his players, Coyle will be expected to maraude his team into the playoffs this time too, considering the squad he has at his disposal.

Summer Signings

While some players have left the squad, Chennaiyin FC have brought in ‘upgrades’ to start a new phase in the club’s history. Be it Indian signings like PC Laldinpuia who shined bright at Jamshedpur last season, Gurkirat Singh who has shown promise in the past editions or foreign signings such as Daniel Chima Chukwu, who weaves magic under Owen Coyle and Elsinho, who is a versatile and extremely underrated defender-cum-midifelder, the management has added every ammunition to Coyle’s dispensary.

Three notable signings which should be further discussed are certainly Kiyan Nassiri, Mohammad Nawaz and Wilmar Jordan Gil. While Nassiri can operate in multiple roles in the attacking third, Nawaz perhaps will be the first-choice goalie for Coyle, provided his experience in the ISL. Wilmar Jordan Gil on the other hand, is again an underrated figure, a diamond which everyone looks up to as coal. Gil is a typical fox inside the box and can harm the opposition if they don’t mark him, a quality he has showcased during his stints at both NorthEast United, where he was the top-scorer for them with 15 goals across 15 matches in all competitions, and Punjab FC, where he scored nine goals in 18 appearances across all tournaments.

New foreign addition Lukas Brambilla will also be a player to watch out for as he will be tasked to replicate what club legend Rafael Crivellaro did in the past. Joining Chennaiyin FC from Cyprus’ second-tier outfit Othellos Athienou, Brambilla will be a force to reckon with this season.

Youth Talents

Chennaiyin FC have bright young prospects, all of whom deserve a place in the starting line-up. Starting from a prolific goal-scorer like Gurkirat Singh, who has shown what he can do in the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy, to Kiyan Nassiri, who shined at Mohun Bagan to garner attention from the Chennaiyin FC recruiters and Bikash Yumnam, a prodigy who led the Marina Machans’ backline last term, the youth talents seem good enough to help Owen Coyle bring the club their lost glory back. Also, players like Jiteshwor Singh and Lalrinliana Hnamte will be crucial in Coyle’s setup, especially the former who has been a mainstay at the club for the past two editions.

Tactical Approach

Any coach in this world inculcates their tactics only after looking at the squad they have in hand. Last season, Owen Coyle mostly deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation with proper wingplay from the likes of Ninthoi Meetei or Vincy Barretto. This time too, the strategy is expected to be similar. The foreigners will form the spine of the team and the Indian counterparts will pitch in as the muscles and other bones, if we compare the team to a human body.

Oh wait! Owen Coyle is someone who relishes watching his team play attacking football. With players like Chima, Nassiri, Gurkirat and Vincy in the side, and with Elsinho, Ryan Edwards and Yumnam guarding the backline, fans should expect Chennaiyin FC to breach opposition defences in style.

Pre-season

Chennaiyin FC’s senior team which will feature in the upcoming ISL 2024-25, participated in the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy as a preparation to the season. It wasn’t a whelming outing for them as they won a game and lost two, only to get knocked out in the group stages itself. However, since the club has a lot of new players to accommodate, it is understandable that Chennaiyin FC will need time to get their best XI and also their best combinations.

Challenges Ahead

Almost every ISL outfit apart from Hyderabad FC have upgraded their squad to achieve better results. Owen Coyle will be worried about the same but at the same time will look at it as an opportunity to hone his team accordingly. The last time Chennaiyin FC reached the final was four years ago, and the last time they won it was 2017-18. Hence, the biggest challenge for Coyle would be to bring back the silverware to the club’s cabinet. However, as much as we know him and his approach, he’ll surely take it one game at a time.

Fans Expectations

Chennaiyin FC fans want to reclaim the champion status. The only thing they now expect from Owen Coyle and co. is attractive football, three points every game and a trophy at the end of the season. A bonus would be definitely a spot in Asia.

Early Predictions for the Season

Chennaiyin FC have everything they need to make a top-six finish this season. They made it last time too, but this time they have a better squad with impactful players, especially some who know how to make it to the playoffs. Hence, a place in the playoffs is something we will predict at this moment. Once the team reaches that position, it’s anybody’s game!

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Mohammad Nawaz (GK); Laldinliana Renthlei, PC Laldinpuia, Ryan Edwards (C), Vignesh Dakshinamurthy; Elsinho, Jiteshwor Singh; Kiyan Nassiri, Connor Shields, Vincy Barretto; Daniel Chima Chukwu.

Chennaiyin FC Squad

Goalkeepers: Mohammad Nawaz, Samik Mitra

Defenders: Ryan Edwards, Bikash Yumnam, PC Laldinpuia, Laldinliana Renthlei, Mandar Rao Dessai, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, Ankit Mukherjee, Elsinho, Preyarhanjan RS.

Midfielders: Jiteshwor Singh, Jitendra Singh, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Lukas Brambilla, Nesta J B Colin, Farukh Choudhary, Vincy Barretto, Alexander Romario Jesuraj.

Forwards: Daniel Chima Chukwu, Connor Shields, Wilmar Jordan Gil, Gurkirat Singh, Kiyan Nassiri, Irfan Yadwad.