ISL team profile: Lack of local players makes Chennaiyin dark horses

By Arjun Krishnan Owned by a consortium involving Abhishek Bachchan, Chennaiyin FC represents the South Indian city of Chennai and was formed as a replacement for the Bengaluru franchise owing to disputes between their owners and the organizers. Due to the unwonted delay in the incorporation of the club, assembling a squad competent enough to challenge for the title was an arduous task since the most sought-after players had already been snapped up by other clubs. The Indians: Abhjit Mondal, Shilton Paul; Dhanachandra Singh, Gouramangi Singh, Khelemba Meetei, Abhishek Das; Jaison Vales, NP Pradeep, Dane Pereira, Anthony Barbosa, Denson Devadas, Harmanjot Khabra; Jeje Lalpekhlua, Jayesh Rane. Most of Chennaiyin FC’s Indian players were initially bought by FC Bengaluru and have since been transferred to Chennaiyin. The most notable Indians are Gouramangi Singh, Harmanjyot Khabra, Jeje Lalpekhlua, and Balwant Singh. Jeje has long been called India’s next Bhaichung Bhutia, but his performances have tapered off with time — he will look to use this tournament as a springboard to bounce back. [caption id=“attachment_1758223” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Brazilian Elano is the youngest marquee player of the ISL. Getty Images[/caption] The Internationals: Gennaro Bracigliano; Mikaël Silvestre, Marco Materazzi (marquee signing), Bernard Mendy, Jairo Carvajal; Elano, Bruno Pelissari, Bojan Djordjic, Cristian Gonzalez; Eduardo Silva. The foreign players bring with them a vast array of traits. Bernard Mendy, Elano Blumer, Marco Materazzi and Mikael Silvestre have a combined total of over 30 top-flight titles under their belt. Their experience and quality are indispensable assets. Serbian Bojan Djordjic, former Manchester United player, is a born leader. He’s expected to be the voice of the team and will wear the captain’s armband. Marquee Player Elano Blumer, the former Santos and Manchester City man, is Chennaiyin FC’s marquee signing. Elano made a name for himself as an advanced playmaker at Santos and Shakhtar Donetsk, before Manchester City signed him in 2007. The versatile midfielder was deployed in various positions at City, even as a fullback on occasion. The Brazilian has amassed 90 goals in 413 career appearances. Manager Former Inter Milan star and treble winner Marco Materazzi was roped in to serve as a player-manager. The towering Italian will prove to be an invaluable resource, both on and off the pitch. He brings bags of experience to the side with a World Cup, five Serie A titles, one UEFA Champions League and four Coppa Italias. Having faced several challenges during his career, Marco will relish the prospect of adding a successful debut managerial campaign to his long list of successes. It’ll be interesting to see how he balances the dual nature of his job, although he’s made it clear that his primary role would be to manage the club. Strengths Elano tucking in behind the striker could potentially lead him to become the tournament’s MVP. His set-piece ability is nonpareil and his technique, exquisite. As the only decent creative outlet in the squad, he is Chennai’s most important player. At 33, the Brazilian is the youngest marquee player across all the clubs – a stat that already places him a cut above most. Gouramangi Singh’s presence in the squad as the most capped Indian in the tournament is vital. All the international players at their disposal could mean little without the all-important Indian element. His excellent attitude towards football could rub off on his Indian teammates, who are vastly inexperienced in comparison. Widely regarded as India’s best defender, he will look to form a strong partnership with Silvestre in the heart of defence. Balwant Singh earned a reputation for being a prolific goalscorer in the 2013-14 campaign, where he scored 17 goals in all competitions for Salgaocar SC, including 10 goals in the I-League – second only to Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri. The heavily built striker is known for his technical and physical abilities. Should he feature consistently, a decent partnership between him and Elano could potentially torment opposition defences. Weaknesses Your first attempt at management is never easy, regardless of your achievements as a player. Materazzi’s choice of tactics will be intriguing. It wouldn’t be outlandish to assume that Marco would prefer a defensive approach as he’d feel more secure implementing a style of play in line with his own strengths as a player. However, this wouldn’t be pragmatic unless the players are naturally suited to the system. It may not seem relevant, but the absence of a local player could be a huge loss. Most of Chennaiyin’s players are originally either from North India or abroad. Players native to the city generally derive additional motivation from representing it, thus giving the team an extra edge, resulting in enhanced performances. The manager can always rely on them to give it their all, and then some more. Homegrown players also give the fans something extra to look forward to, and can be influential off the pitch by making it substantially easier for their teammates to settle in and acclimatize to the culture. The delay in assembling the squad resulted in a corresponding delay in the commencement of preparations, consequently providing their rivals with a head-start in this respect. Time is an important factor when the majority of the players have probably never seen each other. Team-chemistry takes a lot of time to build and the language barrier won’t hasten this process. Also, the team has been forced to train in Bengaluru, due to their home stadium not yet being ready – which could again be a significant disadvantage. Conclusion Overall, Chennaiyin FC seem to be one of the underdogs for the first ISL. However, it would be foolish to rule them out entirely at these premature stages. They have the potential to beat any side, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them develop as the dark horses as the tournament progresses. Chennaiyin FC’s opening fixture is against FC Goa at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa.