ISL 2015: With Chhetri and Anelka, Mumbai City FC have goals written all over them

If Mumbai City FC are to better their seventh place finish in the inaugural Indian Super League, they need to score more goals and concede less. Last year Peter Reid’s side managed to score just 12 goals while conceding 21 – giving them the worst goal difference in the tournament. This season Reid has been replaced by player-manager Nicolas Anelka and the side had one aim at the auction – to get Sunil Chhetri. With that sorted, Mumbai went about retaining their best performers, which to be honest, were very few. Still, Andre Moritz, Pavel Cmovs and Subrata Paul all returned, bringing with them creativity, robust defence and reliability in goal respectively. [caption id=“attachment_2455128” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Sunil Chhetri. Reuters[/caption] But can they build on their new recruits? This is Anelka’s first managerial stint which included planning, recruiting and pre-season. Uncertainly about his skills off the field still loom, but Mumbai City look like they have addressed last year’s problems. ISL 2014 flashback: Mumbai City were slightly unlucky last year with injuries. Freddie Ljungberg, Moritz, Anelka and Syed Nabi all missed time, with Ljungberg never really recovering from a injury picked up in training. Reid did everything he could to improve their form in front of goal. He brought in Ian Rush for a finishing session, played attacking football at home and brought the best out of unknowns Subhash Singh and Peter Costa. But it was not enough. His team created chances but simply couldn’t take them. At the same time, German international Manuel Friedrich underperformed when much more was expected of him. There was a point when they played out three 0-0s in a row – all winnable games which could have turned their season around. Strengths: Attack – with Anelka, Chhetri, Frédéric Piquionne and Sony Norde in the side, Mumbai have goals written all over them. In fact, they have a combined 442 league and international goals between them. Moritz and Brandon Fernandes are excellent in the hole, the former ISL 2014’s only hat-trick scorer; Juan Aguilera and Cristian Bustos are wily Spaniards who will contribute in midfield as well. If these players can supply the meat in the box, Mumbai’s strikers will chomp it up without hesitation. Goals this time should not be a problem. Weaknesses: Mumbai’s defence still seems weak. Cmovs is back and Keegan Pereira was one of the most expensive players in the draft so one center-back and the left-back will pick themselves. Frantz Bertin and Aitor Fernandes are typical journeymen and will take a few games to adjust to the ISL. Irishman Darren O’Dea is already injured - the extent of which we do not know - but there are no proven Indian defenders in there. Kingshuk Debnath is inconsistent at best and Rowilson Rodrigues managed to appear just once in the ISL (for FC Goa) last season. When it comes to grinding out wins, Mumbai’s defence doesn’t look up to the mark. Not on paper at least. Best XI: Subrata; Aitor Lopez, Cmovs, O’Dea, Pereira; Brandon, Moritz, Gabriel; Chhetri, Anelka, Norde.