A Very Merry Christmas To I-League's Top Six: Which Team Will Santa Favour?

We are almost mid-way through the I-League season and are now in that part of the year when Christmas festivities and New Year frenzy takes over the entire nation.

For the fans of the top six I-League clubs, the performances of their team in one of the most open and competitive seasons in the history of the league, only adds to the joy of Christmas.

It has been an unpredictable season so far, as reputations and form have gone out of the window with the so-called “minnows” of the league brushing aside their higher ranked opposition on a given day.

With the race for points, goals and ultimately the championship heating up, Goal.com has a look at what the top six clubs in the league would ask for, if they bumped into Santa Claus during the Christmas period.

Then Armando Colaco’s side had to let go of more than half a dozen of his players for the Indian camp and was compelled to play without them against arch-rivals Churchill Brothers. Shorn of their star players, Dempo lost to their fellow Goan opponents and that kicked off a run of three straight losses, as even after their Indian internationals returned from the National camp, they failed to beat East Bengal and then slumped to a loss to Air India.

The win against Sporting Clube de Goa has bought their season back on track and now all that the current table toppers will be asking for from Santa Claus is that their entire squad be available for selection throughout the season. Which is quite a fair and easy request for the North Pole resident to fulfill.

East Bengal

With the meanest defence in the league, Trevor Morgan’s side is a hard team to beat away or at home in front of their faithful fans.

But in their loss to Mohun Bagan earlier in the season and the draw against Pailan Arrows recently, it almost seemed that fate was conspiring against the Red and Gold Brigade, as East Bengal completely dominated their opponents but failed to get the desired results.

Morgan’s men will be hoping for a good dose of luck from Santa Claus and an assurance of an injury free second half of the season will make it a Merry Christmas indeed for the Kolkatan outfit.

Churchill Brothers SC

Manuel Gomes’s side has made a good start to the season. The first side to beat Dempo SC this season, Churchill went on to top the table, before the loss to Pune FC last matchday relegated them to third on the table and also pointed out the one chink in the Goan side’s formidable armoury – the lack of goals.

While new recruit Henry Antchouet has done well this season and his strike partner ND Opara has also pitched in with a few, it is the inability of other players in finding the back of the net that has hurt the team. With the possible absence of Henry in the coming few weeks, the problem becomes even more acute.

So this Christmas, Gomes will be praying to Santa to gift his midfielders a pair of scoring boots each.

Mohun Bagan

After a disappointing season last time around, the Mariners went ahead and spent big on strikers like Odafa Okolie and Sunil Chhetri. Syed Rahim Nabi, Jewel Raja and N.P Pradeep amongst others came into midfield but Mohun Bagan neglected the core of any good side, the defence, and that is what has hurt the club the most this season.

The leakiest defence in the top four, Subrata Bhattacharya must at times almost think of coming out of retirement to strengthen their back four. Simon Storey proved to be a flop and his replacement Daniell Zeleny looked promising against East Bengal but since then has been out injured. This has left Anwar Ali and Kingshuk Debnath as Bhattacharya’s first choice centre backs and neither have been convincing.

All over the place positionally and unable to deal with routine long-balls, the duo must be giving the technical director sleepless nights. So Bhattacharya almost invariably would want a solution for his defensive woes from Santa this Christmas.

Air India

What could Air India possibly ask for from Santa? Expected to be involved in a relegation struggle, Santosh Kashyap’s side have amazed one and all with their run this season, which sees them in the top five of the league.

They have hugely benefited from the signings of two of Pune FC’s last season’s rejects Lamine Tamba and striker Sandesh Gadkari, both of whom have had an exceptional season. Manandeep Singh and Henry Ezeh have also shared the goal-scoring burden with Gadkari.

However the squad doesn’t really have great depth and Kashyap will be praying to Santa for an injury free second half of the season, so that their dream season doesn’t end in a rude awakening.

Prayag United

Having been involved in a conflict with their former sponsors in the off-season, Prayag United have made a decent start to the season.

A tight outfit at the back, Sanjoy Sen’s side has however failed to kill off matches and this has cost them several points. Having drawn an unbelievable six games this season, the joint highest in the league, the Kolkatan outfit have only themselves to blame for not being further up the table.

So all that Sen would ask for this Christmas from Santa Claus will be to gift his team the ability to convert draws into wins in the second half of the season.