Overview:
NorthEast United FC has traditionally been the club which begins the tournament as the Dark Horse every year. For the past decade or so, the supply line of Indian football has been extensively enriched by the North Eastern states. However, for some reason or the other, their home club NEUFC has not really been able to get a strong foothold in the big stage, apart from the lone season where they clinched the 4th spot under Elco Schattorie to qualify for the play offs.
Coaches/Formation:
It comes as a no-brainer that after an abysmal last season under Khalid Jamil, they are looking for a fresh start with new hopes under Spaniard boss Gerard Nus. Jamil stays on as the assistant coach to help matters. Mr. Nus is a UEFA-Pro Licensee with a colourful resume under his belt including experiences at renowned names at Liverpool F.C., Rayo Vallecano and the Ghana National Football team. However, at the age of only 35, his mettle and tactical brilliance as the head coach of a football team is yet to be tested. While Jamil predominantly deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation, it will be interesting to see the strategies utilized by Mr. Nus.
Defenders/Goal Keepers:Our Rating 7/10
Among the players, veteran Subhasis Roy Chowdhury returns for another season with NorthEast. Roy, 34, had a forgettable outing for the highlanders conceding 21 goals in 15 games. He hoping for a turnaround in the fortunes. The custodian will be helped in the defence by the likes of Ashutosh Mehta and Gurjinder Kumar. Both of whom won the I-League 2019-2020 with Mohun Bagan and will be raring to extend their good run into the ISL side. Wayne Vaz and Nim Dorji, crucial members of the Highlander squad in previous season, are all set to return for another year. The back line will be strengthened by the joining of Belgian Benjamin Lambort and the Aussie Dylan Fox. Fox comes with an eye-catching record in the A-league. He will look to provide solidity to the shaky Highlander defence.
Midfielders:Our Rating 6.5/10
In the middle of the pitch NorthEast will look towards their fan favorite Federico Gallego, along with the newcomer Khassa Kamara to weave some magic for them. Gallego played 10 ISL games last season. He scored once and assisting once more. Roccharzela is an Aizawl FC product. he bagged 6 goals from 14 games in the previous I-league. He will definitely look to impress in the ISL stage this season.
Strikers:Our Rating 9.5/10
NorthEast have really bolstered their attacking line up by signing as many as 3 foreigners. The Portuguese winger Luis Machado, Ghanaian Kwesi Appiah and Guinean Idrissa Sylla. Machado comes fresh off a stint in Moreirense in the liga NOS, top division of Portugal. He played 21 games in the last season, scoring once and assisting thrice. Appiah on the other hand, joins the ISL side after netting 4 goals in 15 appearances for AFC Wimbledon in the third tier of English Football. With this attacking trio on board, it will be enthralling to see whether the John Abraham owned side stick to their old 4-2-3-1 or opt for a more attacking 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formation this season.
NorthEast United FC Score Card:
Total: 22/30
Foreigners: Machado, Appiah, Sylla (Fwd), Gallego, Kamara (MF), Fox and Lambort (DF).
Notable Indian names: Subhasis Roy (GK), Suhair VP (Fwd), Asutosh Mehta, Gurjinder, Wayne Vaz, Rakesh pradhan (DF).
Probable Emerging Indian players: Roccharzela, Imran Khan (MF), Ninthoinganba Meetei (FW), Nim Dorjee (DF).
