The signings that made us fools!
Mohun Bagan, my club, your club, steeped in legacy and passion, has given fans countless memories over a century to cherish. But there are a lot of signings that made us fools over the years. A number of players arrived at the club with big reputations, hefty price tags, or sky high expectations—only to fall flat on the pitch! This article will look back at the most underwhelming XI to have donned green and maroon post 2010; a team that, promised firecrackers on paper, but fizzled out on performance.
1. Amrinder Singh (Goalkeeper).
Nationality : India; Year : 2021-2022.
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| In Frame : Amrinder in a practice session with Mohun Bagan |
Amrinder Singh, one of the best goalkeepers of the country, and the first choice goal keeper in Indian National Team back then, signed for Mohun Bagan in 2021 on a five-year deal. After Arindam Bhattacharya had spent a decent season in green and maroon, Mohun Bagan signed Amrinder from defending champions Mumbai City FC. The deal made Amrinder Singh one of the highest paid domestic footballers.
But things didn't go according to plan. He developed a reputation for being indecisive during aerial balls, often coming off his line and failing to collect crosses correctly. This led to goals in crucial moments and helped opposition strikers to capitalize on his fumbles. He had been beaten at the first post on multiple times—a cardinal sin for any goalkeeper. These kinds of goals dented team morale and sparked frustration among fans.
Eventually, the five-year deal was terminated after the season ended with only 6 clean clean sheets in 22 matches in ISL. A top class goalkeeper having an unlikely stint for us in the recent past makes him the GK of this undesirable XI.
2. Florentin Pogba (Centre Back).
Nationality : Guinea; Year : 2022-2023.
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| In Frame : Pogba waving towards at fans after a 0-0 draw with East Bengal in the Durand Cup |
Florentin Pogba arrived at Mohun Bagan during the Juan Ferrando era with a very familiar surname, but unfortunately only his surname showed up on the matchdays! His signing was supposed to bring compactness to Mohun Bagan's back; instead, it brought misjudged tackles, mysterious injuries, and memes!
Despite a very few noteworthy moments, Paul Pogba's elder brother, who appeared in 5 matches for Mohun Bagan, fell far short of the expectations. Even the fans started mock chanting "We got the wrong Pogba!"
3. Alao Fatai Adisa (Centre Back).
Nationality : Nigeria; Year : 2014.
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| In Frame : Fatai in action against Ranti Martins of East Bengal |
Instead of having an addition to strengthen the defense, Mohun Bagan got someone like a broken fence in the storm. As we say, "Everything happens for a reason"—we signed Bello as the replacement of Fatai, who, on 5 November 2014, before the I League began, was released by mutual agreement.
4. Abhishek Ambekar (Side Back).
Nationality : India; Year: 2017-2019.
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| In Frame : Abhishek in action for Mohun Bagan |
Ambekar joined the team in 2017 with potential, promise, and probably a pair of boots. Unfortunately, that's about all he brought.
The club was going through a tough period with key players leaving for ISL; many young talents and lesser-known players joined the club. Ambekar, being one of the starters, didn't live up to the mark. With his limitations, he tried very hard, but during most of the counters, he was never visible! If defenders are the last line of defence, Ambekar was more of a dotted line, easy to cross and seldom seen!
5. Sumit Rathi (Side Back/CB).
Nationality : India; Year: 2020-2024.
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| In Frame : Sumit captaining a Young Bagan side in UP Minister's Cup |
Ah, Rathi! This one really aches me. Coming through the ranks of ATK, Sumit Rathi even won the ISL Emerging Player of the Season (2019-20) and was considered a long term option at center back for club and country. But once he joined Mohun Bagan (following Mohun Bagan's participation in ISL as ATK Mohun Bagan), expectations reached new heights, and so did the disillusion.
After coming to ISL, Mohun Bagan signed Subhasish Bose from Mumbai and found the first choice left back. And this move unsettled Sumit Rathi gradually leading to his downfall. Whether under Habas or Ferrando, he was confined to the bench, but when playing time came, he appeared nervous and lacked maturity.
Mohun Bagan management made him captain of the reserve squad during the Calcutta Football League, and fans saw a glimpse of light that this might mark his comeback. But hopes soon went in vain! He was suffering from a terrible downgrading of his game. Often uncomfortable under pressure he was prone to aimless clearances and was frequently caught out of position, making clumsy tackles and failing to track runners, leading to goals. Even his teammates suffered to protect him. In the Durand Cup's opening match, for example, Tom Aldred received a yellow card for having to make up Rathi's error.
He was given the captain's armband in the CFL in 2025 also. But the same story repeated. His growth seemed to stall completely. Following the release of a music video, fans even started to mock, "Part-time footballer, full-time actor!" The team provided him ample opportunities and made him captain of the reserve team for back to back seasons to bring his morale back. But the fans, like Estragon and Vladimir, waited and waited and Rathi never had that "comeback".
Rathi joined NEUFC in the winter and made his solo appearance in ISL against East Bengal. We hope the best for him. Witnessing the utter loss of someone with so much potential is quite painful.
6. Quinton Jacobs (CM).
Nationality : Namibia; Year: 2013.
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| In Frame : Jacobs in action For Bagan (Jersey no. 28) |
What makes a signing flop? It is not necessarily the player who performed so poorly. It depends on whether or not the player's performance was in line with his class, skill level, and pedigree. It's obvious that there are many players who have fared worse than the ones I've mentioned here, but most of the names I choose are those who came with a huge expectation, price tag, or an enriched career, but don't live up to the high expectations that come with their reputations. Quinton Jacobs is one of them—a perfect "what could have been" signing rather than a outright flop.
During a time of turmoil and hopelessness, Quinton Jacobs joined the club. An international player from Namibia with European experience, including a spell with Partick Thistle in Scotland, naturally created some hype among the fans who considered him to be the main man who could pull the strings in midfield setting up the perfect play for Odafa.
But he had trouble being consistent, staying fit, and adjusting to the demands of Indian and Kolkata football. He didn't live up to the expectations of a big club. Rumours circulated regarding his lack of physical conditioning and match fitness. He look tired as in several matches Jacobs, out of steam went for standing through passes at the fag end of the match for Odafa who was struggling with his own fitness problems that season.
There were no standout performances or moments that we can cherish during his brief and underwhelming tenure at the club. In short, Jacobs, who played 10 matches in green and maroon altogether, lacked dynamism and eventually became yet another disappointing signing during the phase.
7. Brad Inman (Midfielder)
Nationality : Australia; Year : 2020-2021.
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| In Frame : Bradden Inman |
When Mohun Bagan brought Brad Inman after joining ISL, there was genuine excitement. An Aussie with English top division club experience? It sounded too good and was normal to create a hype among the fans. His tenure in Mohun Bagan can be addressed as the most flop overseas signing during ISL era keeping in regard of his class and pedigree.
Brought in to add creativity and flair, Inman ended up adding confusion and despair. He made 7 appearances in total; 5 of them were off the bench. He looked lost in matches often drifting like someone lost in Shreebhumi Durga Puja crowd; and he left without a single goal or an single assist, or any vibrant memory.
With a huge status Inman came, saw, and disappeared. We have no doubt about his calibre, but from Mohun Bagan's perspective, he was one of the first names to make it to this XI.
8. Pankaj Moula (Midfielder/RW).
Nationality : India; Year : 2013-2016.
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| In Frame : Moula in action in CFL. |
Pankaj Moula was considered one of the most promising young talents in Bengal football during the time he joined Mohun Bagan, especially after impressing at the youth level and during his stint with Kalighat Milan Sangha, expectations skyrocketed; and unfortunately, so did the disappointment. His career at Bagan did not witness the sort of progress anticipated, and he went into obscurity shortly afterwards.
He had pace, silky skills, and some serious talent but only to be there in the note books and sighs of the fans. Like Rathi, he usually turns up on lists of "wasted potential" in the fans' memories.
9. Edu Garcia (AMF).
Nationality : Spain; Year : 2020-2021.
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| In Frame : Edu in action for Bagan in ISL |
We might choose some other names, but given his class and impact he left the previous year, we have to mention this "magician" whose magic magically faded out in green and maroon.
He struggled with several minor injuries during the 2020-21 season, which disrupted his rhythm and sharpness. Whenever he played, he appeared to be a completely different player than the one the league was familiar with. From the main man in ATK to the 6th foreigner in Mohun Bagan, from being one of the best number 10s in the league to just another ordinary name in the teamsheet, the mariners even have nothing to remember about a player of very high strata.
10. Salva Chamorro (Striker).
Nationality : Spain; Year : 2019.
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| In Frame : Salva Chamorro after Scoring for Bagan |
Salva Chamorro's tenure was brief and underwhelming, leading to perceptions of him being a flop signing. Former Barcelona B striker participated in CFL where he made limited impact. He participated in the Sheikh Kamal International Cup in Bangladesh and the Durand Cup and played two matches in I League before his contract was terminated. His movements were sluggish; perhaps trams of Kolkata could only be his competitor, and he looked out of sync with the rest of the team.
Salva had a brilliant heading ability but sadly the same cannot be said about his passing and link up, the trademarks of a ball-playing striker. Fans still recollect his bullet header from an Ashutosh Mehta cross in the Durand opener against Mohammedan Sporting. But in the game of "football", the foot was terribly missing! Chamorro's departure in December 2019, hardly five months after signing, was inevitable. He had become one of the increasing number of foreign imports who "came with a CV and left with a whimper."
11. Tolgay Ozbey (Forward).
Nationality : Australia; Year: 2012-2013.
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| In Frame :- Tolgay Ozbey in action |
A forward with 14 goals and 28 matches seems not the one to fit in a flop XI. In the history of Indian football, there have been few transfer sagas that have created as much drama as Tolgay Ozbey's infamous move from East Bengal to arch-rivals Mohun Bagan in 2012.
Tolgay Ozbey had become the heartthrob of East Bengal fans during his stint from 2010 to 2012. The Aussie was everything a club could ask for: sharp, clinical and charismatic. He scored 37 and 29 goal haul per season for The Red and Gold was scintillating. But that was before making the move to Mohun Bagan. When the rumours began to swirl that he was plotting a move to arch rivals, East Bengal fans were stunned. On the other hand, Mohun Bagan fans were ready to welcome him like a messiah.
Focusing on the debate, was 14 goals in 28 matches a bad record to deem him as a flop?
The answer is simple. No. It was bad because he was TOLGAY OZBEY. The aura and impact he carried at East Bengal was compared to none in his contemporary times but he failed under keeping up the expectations along with a slack of understanding with Odafa in his final year. The goals came against weaker opponents and lacked impact. His lethal touch had completely disappeared. He was like a lost soul wandering in the field as if his heart was still somewhere else!
Tolgay scored goals. Goals without context, without consequences. The goals that never made you jump out of your seat. Numbers on papers, null in heart.
Mohun Bagan in that particular season was a mess. The club has been searching for a trophy for the past 2 seasons. Faced suspension. Then came Tolgay! Rumours swirled about his attitude, his ego, his lifestyle, and his lack of fitness.
He was brought in to rise above the mess. Instead, he became part of it. We were fooled! He was fooled! Even before the April fool knocked the door. His signing at Mohun Bagan wasn't a flop. It was a tragedy.
While compiling a "Flop XI" is always tongue-in-cheek, it's important to remember that they all are good players and players with good potential. Different factors work when they cannot live up to the mark. We can mention many more names. Gustavo, Avaska, Murali Joseph, Anwar Ali (senior), NP Pradeep, Eric Miranda to name a few. But we divided the names into three categories:
i) Renowned names in Indian football circuit— but don't live up to the hype.
ii) Bright talents— but the talent never flourished.
iii) Players came with a high pedigree— but turned out to be flops here.
This list isn't meant to disrespect them; it simply points out some names who, for one reason or another, couldn't make the expected impact in Mohun Bagan.
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