Truth be told, this 2025/26 season has proved “All that glitters is not gold”. Mohun Bagan, with arguably the best squad in the league, has struggled and dropped points against teams that are less than half the Market Value of the Mohun Bagan squad. Football is played on the pitch, not on paper, and so, for further success, the management must think, not just to put up the most expensive eleven on the pitch, but rather try to build a 'cohesive unit’ on the field.
As Johan Cruyff once said “ Choose the best player for every position, and you'll end up not with a strong XI, but with eleven strong 1's.” Funnily enough, if we consider Market Value alone, Alberto Rodriguez is the least expensive foreigner in our squad, a stat that violently stands as oxymoron to his massive contribution and importance in the team.
Part 1: The Defence Department
A: He's a ‘Keeper'
The position that needs the least mending. Given the ‘Vishal’ performances he provides match after match, and also keeping in mind the present pool of Indian players in that position, Kaith is a no-brainer to start with.An important question still remains. Do Mohun Bagan really need a good 2nd choice keeper? Apart from Avilash Paul and Dheeraj Singh, Mohun Bagan haven't really gone out of their way for strong second choice keepers. Mohun Bagan also have another symptom they need to address: not fielding the best possible squads in knockout competitions, or any competition other than the national league title. But if Mohun Bagan starts to build title challenging squads for other competitions too (and a club like the stature of Mohun Bagan should), a decent second choice keeper becomes a necessity. Arsh, Dheeraj, Zahid or now Deeprovat, none has proved good enough to challenge Kaith for starts, or to be used in rotation. The gap between Vishal and the second option is indeed big aka ‘vishal’ at Mohun Bagan.
Mohun Bagan won't play in the Asian Stage this year. They can, from the next year, and so team building should start now, keeping in mind the possible match congestions. Priyansh has been the best keeper in the last RFDL, but yet to receive his big break for the main team. Meanwhile, Zahid has been superb for Real Kashmir on loan until he faced an knee injury. Apart from current options, we can have a decent keeper option from outside.
There are a few options in the market though, that too from Bengal alone. Subhajit Bhattacharjee of MDSC has been more than decent in the games he has played. Another bengali keeper, who has lost the numero uno position in his team, is Samik Mitra at Chennaiyin FC. In fact, Samik played in close quarters with Kaith during the latter's stint at the South-based club.
If we look at the other side of 30, Bhaskar Roy (Sreenidi Deccan) and Sourav Samanta (United SC) are formidable options. Sourav was also part of Bengal's last Santosh Trophy winning team and was a key pillar of the team's success. Another United SC product, Arnab Das of Patha Chakra claimed to fame after a solid performance against a sturdy East Bengal in CFL. In the heydays of CFL, this single performance would have got him a move to the big clubs, but my humble opinion is to let him be nurtured and monitored for a few more seasons before approaching him with a contract.
My pick - Ashish Sibi of Dempo SC. The lanky lad from Delhi has proved to be the guardian of the goal for the Samir Naik-coached side. Sibi has shown his composure while facing bigger opponents when he faced a Molina-coached Mohun Bagan in the Super Cup, and didn't concede a single goal which helped his team secure a vital draw. Adding to that, he is exceptional at stopping penalties. Yes, he does have his fumbles at times, but he still knows how to carry the weight of a prestigious club, and with Sibi in the team, the CB's in the team can be a bit more assured.
Mohun Bagan are sometimes called ‘Real Madrid of India', by fans and haters alike, but to be really worthy of being remembered in the same breath as of the Spanish giants, we first have to start having exceptional results in the continental stage, and for that to happen, one of the first steps is to complement your ‘Thibaut Courtois' with an ‘Andriy Lunin'.
B: RB gives you Wings
Mohun Bagan pulled one of the best signings in recent years with Tekcham Abhishek Singh. But that hasn't solved the impending problem. Mohun Bagan's right side has never been the same after the departure of Pritam Kotal and Prabir Das. And truth be told, even though Subhasish Bose has been a guardian on the left side for many years, he ain't getting any younger. His lack of pace has sometimes questioned his authority on that side of the pitch.Even though Tekcham can play at both sides, he, like every person, can be present in one position at a time. To give him company, the management is probably already looking for his partner from other teams. Rumours are abound that the management might go to their favourite hunting ground again - a team where they found Apuia and Mehtab. While vying for the signature of one of the best prospects can be rewarding, it would be expensive too. Solving this in some other way may open up funds to be more wisely spent on other areas. Also, one of the ‘best prospects' we are talking about, suffered a bad injury last year, and players , especially defenders aren't always able to be the same, especially coming back from a season-ending injury.
If we look at our own squad, we do have options to play with. Take for example, Umer Muther, the Keralite that had supposedly impressed Lobera in training, but has somehow not materialised into Matchday Squad entry or minutes, atleast this season. Another option is Roshan Singh Thangjam, the Manipuri who stood impressive in other-wise lackluster performance of the CFL and RFDL sides he was part of, and a senior team call-up can really unlock his full potential.
The problem though is Lobera hasn't really given youngsters much chance to existing youngsters and instead chose to value experience. So if we need to add experience in the wings, Tekcham's partner needs to be a regular from the top tier. His ex-teammate, Khaiminthang Lhungdim can be a great option on the right side. In fact, Tekcham on left and Lhungdim on right , was the actual default setting in Punjab, proven and clinical, and can be available on a free transfer. Another similar option can be Namgyal Bhutia from Bengaluru, whose contract is also expiring this summer.
But if we keep Tekcham for the right side, we get a bit more options, like Darjeeling boy, Buanthanglun Samte who has been a regular, solid LB for NorthEast United, and with only a year left in his contract, he can be the alternate choice. A bit more expensive option can be Naocha Singh from KBFC, while Aibanbha Dohling can come on a free transfer.
Youngster Aritra Das who was once considered a hot prospect under Tchorz in KBFC academy, wasn't able to lock his place in previous season's Habas' Inter Kashi team. He may not be a guaranteed starter, but can be used as a Super Sub. Speaking of Kashi's left back position, Sandip Mandi is young, reliable and sturdy enough too, to carry on the baton from Bose.
My pick- Rabilal Mandi. He has already been under the training of two national league winning coaches of Mohun Bagan, and who knows...he could be the difference factor for Mohun Bagan to have another title winning season. Not only that, he has played an instrumental part in both the teams, from Sanjoy Sen's Santosh Trophy winning Bengal side to Kibu's I-League 2 winning DHFC side. Rabilal has also been quite impressive in this year's IFL campaign.
Mohun Bagan's wing-back positions have been historically occupied by legendary players and sons of soil, and Rabilal has a chance to continue that tradition. While Tekcham will be in control of the right side, Bose and Rabilal can be used in rotation for the left.
C: In the ‘Centre’ of Defence
Indian- Pramveer Singh - the blatantly clear choice Mohun Bagan should sign up without further ado.But then, do Mohun Bagan need an Indian CB to improve the squad? Is that where the problem lies?
The answer is NO. But the level of prospect Pramveer is at such a young age, it would a mistake to not capitalize on this signing as an investment for the future of Mohun Bagan.
Pramveer also has experience of playing with Dippendu in the India U-23 (though not as a CB pair, and here Dippendu is getting much starts at this point), and if we can get Pramveer, Pramveer and foreign CB should be in the starting lineup as default. Does that mean Mehtab or maybe even Bose doesn't add anything to the Center Back position? They do, especially to win a full-fledged league and to win other tournaments like Durand and Super Cup, Mohun Bagan will require rotation of the squad to keep all players fit and free from exhaustion.
Foreigner- Given that the future of the league is uncertain, and in the constricted budget that everyone is working with, we can always vouch for Alberto and Aldred are one of the best CB pair one can afford in the league, if not the best. When Alberto's 'no-nonsense Monster attitude' generally sees the day off, it's questioned Aldred’s ‘leader at the back' persona that rises to perform.
But there are two problems -
1. None of them ain't getting any younger. Tom in particular, is already 35, and will be 36 next season. At that age, even Hector Yuste had 2 options only, either play for East Bengal, or retire, which he eventually ended up doing, in that order too.
2. Looking up the transfer market does not harm, as our opponents are trying to scale up to us, so we need to raise the bar again and again.
Center back options in a market is abundant, so we can get a lot of options , all we need is to narrow down on the basis of our requirements and budget. And that's a tough job.
First let's list out some stupendously good profiles, whom we can approach, but it may be really tough to seal the deal.
a. Maracas, the Brazilian CB shares the same agent as Miguel (according to transfermarkt) , and plies his trade for Moreirense , a Portuguese club in the top half of the half of the league. Not only that, he is one of the best defenders not playing for the big 3 clubs of Portuguese football. And we wish to land him up to Mohun Bagan next season as a free agent? It would be a dream come true.
b. Recreating the Alberto Magic: The management struck gold by not going in their preferred markets like Australia, and instead picked Alberto from the Indonesian league. Can that happen again? Fede Barba, the Italian, is one such interesting prospect, but he was rumoured to return back to Italy mid season last year. Do we even have a chance to bring him to India? Never say never, but it would be really really tough. Another option is Eric Curbelo, playing at Gijon. Curbelo shares the same agent as Alberto, but can he be the ceiling raiser, remains a question to be answered.
c. A-League: The management's favourite hunting ground. Brian Kaltak once supposedly expressed interest in playing in India, but his recent stats are not bad, but not the best either. Another Central Coast Mariners product, Dan Hall, a regular at Auckland FC, can be a good prospect too.
d. World Cup Flavours: Can a player, who has a chance to play at the World Cup sign up for Mohun Bagan? It's tough but let's see. Frans Putros, the Iraqi defender, plays for Persib. Yuran Fernandes, who is PSM Makassar's captain, got his first World Cup qualifiers call-up for Cape Verde and would be a viable choice. Can Mohun Bagan land either of the two? I don't know, it's tough, but not impossible.
My pick- Tamirlan Kozubaev of Persita or Christophe Nduwarugira of Borneo FC. The Kyrgyz national can be the younger version of Aldred, and also adds height in the equation. Christophe, on the other hand, offers a different solution. We all know, the DM position at Mohun Bagan is somehow the weakest. Christophe, while primarily a center back and a brilliant ball snatcher, can also play as a box-to-box midfielder if required, and more so, the Burundi man has been decent both in Portuguese lower divisions and the ASEAN leagues.
D. The ‘heart’ of the game
First, let's say the names that are NOT joining Mohun Bagan:-a. Roozbeh Chesmi: We need to understand Chesmi is a player of legendary status in Iran and for Esteghlal, and he won't sign for a club, which has time and again refused to go to Iran.
b. Jackson Irvine and Connor Metcalfe: The St. Pauli men, can be in serious contention though. FC St. Pauli, having been relegated from Bundesliga, would be eager to sell players, to ease on its finances. Also, the Transfer Window is after the World Cup, so it wouldn't be a problem for taking the drop. But taking a drop and coming to India are two different things.
Metcalfe, though he hadn't had enough minutes last season, he is merely 26. Should he change clubs, clubs in Bundesliga and Scotland will be waiting to snag him up. Even if none of that works out, he can always look at A-League. Jackson on the other hand is 33. While all the reasons also apply for Irvine too, 33 is a decent enough age to try out India. But given the stature he has at St. Pauli, and given the vocal nature of Jackson and Jemilla Pir about socio-political issues, and the lack of the same at the club and the city as a whole, I really am not sure how much of interest Mohun Bagan will show for Jackson Irvine. Another thing to be kept in mind is that both players have suffered injuries this season, with Jackson especially struggling with that again and again. Both weren't available for quite a number of matches, so their injury status needs to be taken into account.
My pick- Scott Allardyce. This Dundee man can be the real difference maker to the squad. Played most of his career in Scotland (reminds me of a certain Greg Stewart) for some reputed clubs like Inverness CT and Ross County, before coming to Asia last year. He is one of the main reasons for Ratchaburi qualifying out 2nd in the group (behind eventual winners Gamba Osaka); this year, he is plying his trade for the Cambodian side Visakha. He can play as a DM or a CM, and even as a CB, very much complementing the profile of Christophe (discussed above). Scott's main strengths are that he is a brilliant duel winner and a good circulator. With Scott at DM, our midfield has the chance of being cohesive, allowing Apuia to play near the 25-yard line.
Another very good option is someone who has already played in India - Borja Herrera, though he is already 33.
E. The Gaffer Gamble
Mohun Bagan's position in the ISL in the league stage over the years are 2, 3, 3, 1, 1, 2. This stat might make it seem like Mohun Bagan have had a steady coaching team, which guides the team every year. The reality, however, couldn't be further from the truth. The coaching position at this club is a bit of a merry-go-round, reminding us of the club Watford. Antonio Lopez Habas, Juan Ferrando, Habas again, Jose Molina, Sergio Lobera - Mohun Bagan has had 5 coaches in 6 seasons of ISL. That is, not even taking Cascallena (1 match) and Bastab Roy (Durand openers) into account. Even winning trophies couldn't mark the coaching position safe from sacking.Why are even discussing the coach in the defensive section? The defense unit, under Molina, was one of the best in the league. The same defensive unit, and with a couple of great additions, became rather porous under Lobera. So the coach and his tactics do become an important determining factor for the defensive unit to work according to its strengths.
So, should we trust Lobera for another season? Err, No. Lobera doesn't really seem to have plan B’s when things don't get going, and his grasp of the dressing room seems quite questionable.
So who's going to be in the hot seat for the upcoming season? The management do have a soft spot for coaches who have coached at ATK (or even FC Goa). In that respect, management will probably go for Manuel Marquez Roca or maybe Ashley Westwood. Petr Krakty and Juan Pedro Benali can be good options too.
Habas 3.0? Sounds good on paper, but I don't see a point going forward with unresolved issues.
In my opinion though, I would prefer a coach who would give youngsters more chances, and reduce the dependence on ‘Superstars’. My first pick would have been Arthur Papas, had he not already been enjoying his job in Japan. Other people who have already worked in India would include Akbar Nawaz, Staikos Vergetis, Panagiotis Dilmperis or even Tomasz Tchorz. If we choose someone who hasn't worked in India, Petar Segrt is going to be my 1st choice.
The Exit Door (Part 1)
The consistency of this team may not always have been due to quality, but can be attributed to the depth of the squad. So does too many exits make any sense, I doubt. In Goalkeeping, one of Zahid, Priyansh or Deeprovat might be let go, if we can land Sibi. Deeprovat comes useful in CFL due to the son of soil rule, and Priyansh is one of the long-term projects. Zahid has also performed well for Real Kashmir on loan last season until he faced a knee injury.
In Defence, even though Bose hasn't been in his peak form, I would like to have him for at least another year as a squad member. Either of Amey Ranawade or Ashish Rai may leave, but leaving out both, can be a bit risky and in that case, Dippendu can be thought of as a backup RB. In central defence, again either of Mehtab or Dippendu can be deemed extra. While keeping Mehtab for experience, sending Dippendu on loan sounds reasonable, especially if Pramveer is brought in.
In defensive midfield, quite a few players can exit, with the likes of Tangri, Glan Martins and Suryavanshi. Apuia and Thapa should be adequate along with foreigners, and if required, the likes of Sandeep Malik or Mingma Sherpa can be trusted.
Part 2: The Attacking Half
A. The Playmaker of the Midfield
With the departures of Dimi Petratos and Jason Cummings confirmed, Mohun Bagan do need a guardian in the midfield. While players like Dani Ramirez (Punjab) and Franchu (Kerala) have impressed in this short-spanned season, there are other options to be explored.Here are my 4 profiles for the position:-
● Anthony Caceres- A brilliant ball carrier and finisher, can slot in as a CF or AMF, or even as part of double pivot. Besides being good in set pieces, he can not only be the Cummings replacement, but can also be an upgrade over Dimi. The only drawback is his age, so I would only like him as a stop-gap solution. Even though his performances won't be like his Sydney FC days, he would be decent enough for ISL.
● Tamirlan Dzhamalutdinov- Another free agent, and this time on the better side of 30. The roaming midfielder can give us a hint of Boumous or Greg Stewart with his heat-map. He is a great presser, good interceptor and equally good creator. The Russian plays for Dordoi Bishkek, and if Mohun Bagan get to play in Asia in recent years, his experience of playing in central Asia might come handy.
● Cesinha - The Daegu man is the most creative AMF one can get in this budget. Has been part of Daegu for almost a decade, this man can be our ‘Bruno Fernandes-lite' , by the sheer dominance he can have in the Mohun Bagan midfield. The demerits are that he might be unreliable in the defensive workload, and his age is a big concern.
● Jose Campana - The Levante legend can be the best bet in my honest opinion. He fits in as a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder, and can even drop deep. He is a brilliant creator, both in terms of quality and quantity, and can immensely increase our attacking threats (even keeping aside his quality set-pieces). Now playing AD Ceuta in La Liga 2, this man can improve our squad, quite massively.
B. The Wing Men-
Liston and Manvir, both have given several best years of their career to Mohun Bagan, but are they the best shots going forward?So, who to keep and who to sell? Is it a ‘all or none' law? Manvir is just 30, but is his agility still top notch? Liston is 27, but will his decision-making in the final third finally improve? Kiyan's 25, is he going to challenge for the starting spot? Or else, we need to think of other 25 year olds who are ready to do that.
While many would like a Ryan Williams or a Chhangte, one of them is 32 years old, and the other is 28 years. Ryan can contribute for 2-3 years at most, Chhangte, maybe a bit more but both come at a high cost. The real question is are they really long-term solutions?
The problem about this position is that, in India, wingers emerge every 2-3 years and then vanish! So, it's highly debatable whether searching for a ‘long term solution’ is even the right decision, but it's how legends are made at any club. Starting with 25 year olds, who are already first eleven regulars, Isak Vanlalruatfela (my pick) can be a really good pick, as will be Noufal Puthenveettil Noushad. Another very different solution can be Brison Fernandes of FC Goa. If we search in a little younger age range, Md. Aimen is a good prospect, though his brother Azhar is the profile we may need more of. Md Sanan and Korou Singh are two interesting prospects, but given the length of their present contracts, they won't come cheap. We cannot ignore Md. Suhail of Punjab FC for pace and versality and Abdul Rabeeh of FC Goa who can switch between full-back and winger roles.
C. RR aar?
Robson Robinho still has a year left in his contract with Mohun Bagan, while Jamie Maclaren has two. But are we satisfied with their game, or are we left yearning for more? To do some tinkering, alternative options like Alaeddine Ajaraie might be more suitable. Macca is still the top scorer for Mohun Bagan this season so, letting a player of his level of experience can be detrimental to the overall depth of the squad.This issue can be solved by 2 ways, the new recruitment can either be a winger like Robson, or a backup striker to replace a fatigued Macca after the hour mark.
So what are the viable options at hand? For the winger solution, one person we would love but won't come, is Jasir Asani. The Albanian left for Gwangju FC after a dream season for Esteghlal, just to pursue Asian football. Mariano Peralta and Talles Brener are South Americans, who are already garnering interests elsewhere. Peralta impressed with Indonesian club, Borneo, and fellow Indo club, Persija Jakarta, are interested in him. Talles, on the other hand, won the J1 league with Kashima, before returning back to Rukh Lviv in Ukraine. His team finished in the lower half of the table, but another team, LNZ Cherkasy, 2nd in Ukrainian league, has shown interest in the player.
Macca and his teammates looked clueless in front of the goal in the last few matches of ISL under Coach Lobera, as if they had forgotten how to score. Pairing Macca with familiar players like Marin Jakolis can be an excellent option. The Croatian-Aussie profile is unlikely to come, leaving behind European football, but it is worth a try. The same can be said for Tunisian Issam Jebali who can really upgrade this team, but his arrival in India is unlikely after providing an assist in ACL Two final, that too against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr.
Perhaps the best option can be Trent Buhagier (my pick), playing for Tampines Rovers in the Singaporean league.The Maltese-Aussie will be free agent this summer, and can come with loads of experience of not only Singapore, but also ACL Two.
And if we think of having the backup striker option, Boris Kopitovic (my pick) at Bali United can really be a good option. Another option is NEUFC legend Tomi Juric's brother Deni Juric, who played a pivotal role for Kibu Vicuna's ex-club Wisla Plock. And if we need to be spend-thrift, Clayton (who had a small stint with DHFC) or David Castaneda (Sreenidi Deccan) can be affordable options to come off the bench and impact the game.
The Exit Door (Part 2)
With the likes of Cummings and Petratos already leaving the club, the club can afford atleast one Indian winger. Of the three, Liston is my pick to stay, as he may not have the grace of a horse, but can work his ass off. His work rate makes sure he tracks back and also make continuous threats in the final third.
Out of Manvir and Kiyan, if any one of them gets to stay, I'd choose Kiyan to stay for his agility. As for Robson, the lull of his first season can be forgotten if he can stage a surprise, but can he? That's the million-dollar question.
The attacking pack can be Campana (or any of the 4) in AM , Liston or Aimen in the left flank, Isak in the right flank, Macca up front. The other foreigner can come off the bench.
The Probable Squad and Starting Lineups-( 4-2-3-1)
GK: Kaith
4: Bose-Alberto-Mehtab-Tekcham
2: Apuia-*Scott Allardyce
3: Liston-*Jose Campana -*Isak Ralte
1: Macca
Subs:
GK: *Ashish Sibi
4: *Rabilal, *Pramveer/Dippendu, Roshan,
2: *Christophe, Thapa,
3: *Aimen, Sahal,
1: *Buhagier/*Kopitovic
Key: * = new probable signings
Note: Player Profiles were scouted by Rounak Saha and Foreigner Profiles were mostly analysed by Ritam Chakraborty.
Joy Mohun
Bagan 💚♥️
4: Bose-Alberto-Mehtab-Tekcham
2: Apuia-*Scott Allardyce
3: Liston-*Jose Campana -*Isak Ralte
1: Macca
