India call-up, more goals: Bipin Singh has his priorities set for second half of ISL 2023-24

As the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season gets into its business end, Mumbai City FC (MCFC), under new coach Petr Kratky , would be looking to turn tables as they lag leaders FC Goa by five points. For the City Football Group (CFG) owned club, which is part of the same family as Manchester City FC, silverware is the ultimate aim. And to do so, ‘The Islanders’, who are in transition, will need their established players to pick up pace. One of them is Bipin Singh Thounajam. Known for his electric pace on the wings, Bipin has been part of the Mumbai squad since 2018, winning the Winners’ Shield in 2020-21 and 2022-23 and ISL title in 2020-21. Apart from his attacking play on the wings and assists, the Indian footballer has been a constant threat with his goalscoring, however, the ongoing 2023-24 season has been subdued comparatively. After netting six or more goals in the last three seasons and hitting a season-high eight in 2022-23, Bipin has only managed one goal so far in 19 matches. That one goal, however, came as a winner against Mohun Bagan Super Giant in December 2023 as Mumbai scripted a comeback win in a game that witnessed seven red cards. Now back to the league after a small break, Bipin hopes to rediscover the lost form in front of the net which made him a sensation in Indian football. “In the last three seasons, my contributions have been the same. This season, we haven’t had a great start as a team. It wasn’t just for me but also the whole team,” Bipin told Firstpost. “So we are all trying to improve. We had Durand Cup, ISL and AFC Champions League, back-to-back matches, a lot of travelling, maybe the lack of time for recovery or the compact schedule had its impact. But in the second half of ISL, our performance including mine should be better.” Read | How a picture of Taj Mahal gave India their best left-back — Akash Mishra He hopes goals will also get him back into the Indian national football team. Bipin made his India debut in 2021 against Oman under coach Igor Stimac and last played for the Blue Tigers against Myanmar in March 2023. “It’s always our target to be a part of the national team and for that, we need to do well in ISL. If we do that and I get a call-up, it will be great,” he shared. Form and goals, however, in football are more often than not a byproduct of a holistic environment at a club and in that aspect, Mumbai face their toughest challenge since CFG took over the club. The pressure of AFC Champions League games had its impact on their start to the season as they faced challenges on multiple fronts. One of the issues that MCFC faced was their inability to win games, resulting in four draws in 11 matches. Former coach Des Buckingham then left for English League One side Oxford United midway through the season and there’s a new man - Petr Kratky - at the helm now. Key players like Greg Stewart, Abdenasser El Khayati and Rostyn Griffiths left the club in January and there have been some new incomings in Iker Guarrotxena and Thaer Krouma. Despite the challenges, Bipin didn’t shy away from saying that winning trophies would be the only goal for the club as he discussed the new coach and his working style. “We always have the same target, to win whichever competition we play. To perform well in every game.” “Every coach will have different game styles and tactics, but their ambition is always the same. Every coach wants to perform well and win the league. He (Kratky) is a very good coach and is making to effort to know each and every player. He is working hard and this should reflect in the results as well. He has clarity in the way he explains his tactics and plans,” he signed off.