This will be the 4th season Punjab FC will play ISL; they were promoted after securing the 2022-23 season I-League. With new gaffer Pavlos Dermitzakis at the helm, the team looks sharper and more lethal. I would be careful about describing Dermitzakis as a strict “possession coach” or “tiki-taka coach.” The available evidence doesn’t support such a narrow classification.
His career suggests more of a pragmatic, organised approach, with the ability to build competitive sides and achieve promotion. His preferred formation is 4-2-3-1, although formation alone doesn’t tell us exactly how his teams play. His team adapts tactics based on the opponents rather than being rigid about their tactics.
Punjab FC has played the semis of the IFA shield where they lost to Mohun Bagan Super Giants in penalties with the regulation time resulting in goalless draw, some significant result for them are: Punjab opened their IFA Shield campaign with a 7–0 win over Calcutta Customs, defeating East Bengal FC with a single goal by the Brazilian forward Diego and Arshdeep’s phenomenal performances to keep the clean sheet.
The Indian brigade of the side looks pretty good with the likes of Khaiminthang Lhungdim, Bijoy Varghese, Ricky John Shabong and the captain Nikhil Prabhu. They have roped in the veteran Cameroonian striker Messi Bouli, who has significant experience of playing in the Indian situations. They have also roped in the Brazilian winger Diego Rapso, another Cameroonian player, Patrick Bahanack, who plays as a centre-back.
The club is also working in preparing their supply chain of Indian players by constantly working in the age group teams; they recently won the Oil India Gold Cup, which talks the talk for their supply chain. A player to lookout for this season for the Shers would be Bishnu Sharma; the midfielder has already shown his class in Kolkata with his line-breaking passes, this season could be a start of something big for him. One thing that can surprise others this season could be their bench strength, with a massive Indian supply chain and their players being regulars in the age-group national teams, this could be very vital at the later stages of the league.
Their luck has not been so great up until mow in ISL,but things can change for the side with a more well-balanced side, a new coach at helm and addition of veteran foreigners, they start their campaign against Odisha FC at home on 14th of November; then they face Mumbai at home on 19th after that they have a 5 match long away streak which could potentially define their position atleast at the end of the first leg, the Shers should look for atleast 14 points in the first 7 games to secure a good position at the group table.
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