ISL 2017: Chennaiyin get it tactically wrong against incisive FC Goa

By Ashwin Muralidharan (@AshwinMNair10)

After two scoreless matches to start the Indian Super League (ISL) season four, a lot of pre-match discussion going into Chennaiyin FC's season opener against FC Goa centred on whether the fixture would produce the first goals of the season. 

At the end of ninety minutes, the spectators were treated to not just one but five goals. Three of them came in the first half itself with FC Goa running riot over the Chennaiyin defence. FC Goa's Manuel Lanzarote was especially impressive in a playmaking role and he scored the best goal of the lot with a stunning lob. 

However, Sergio Lobera's impressive charges were allowed to showcase their incisive football by John Gregory's decision to start with a five-man defence that failed to do what it was meant to. 

The Englishman had stated before the match that he knew what FC Goa were all about and had a fair idea of how they would line up. He had also indicated that Chennaiyin FC would be pragmatic in their approach to the game. 

It was evident that Gregory had done his homework on FC Goa and their style of play, with his focus on how to negate their possession-based game. However, it was surprising to see Gregory put out a 5-3-2 formation with two diminutive strikers in Jeje Lalpekhlua and Baoringdao Bodo leading the lines. 

What was striking was that Thoi Singh was playing out of position at right wing-back while Inigo Calderon, a right-back by trade, was deployed in midfield along with Raphael Augusto and Rene Mihelic. The objective was clearly to restrict space for Goa's talented midfielders and deny them possession which did not work out on the night. Dhanachandra Singh, playing competitive football after a long period out with injury, was deployed as one of the three centre-backs but he looked rusty and was hauled off at half-time. 

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FC Goa, on the other hand, lined up in a fluid 4-2-3-1 with Manuel Lanzarote playing behind striker Ferran Corominas. But after an initial period where Chennaiyin pressed with purpose and intensity, FC Goa's Edu Bedia, Ahmed Jahouh and Manuel Lanzarote grew into the game and showcased some lovely eye-catching football. 

Not only was their football pleasing to the eye, it was incisive as well. Chennaiyin's defenders were caught out time and time again and were lucky not to have conceded more than three goals. It was not clear at times whether Thoi was playing as a winger or a wing-back, with the right wing exposed time and time again on counters. 

Brandon Fernandes, who was playing down the left for FC Goa, had all the space in the world to link up play beautifully with Coro and Lanzarote, given that Thoi was struggling to track back effectively.

It was Brandon who created the first goal for Goa, after dispossessing Jerry Lalrinzuala and then combining with Ferran Corominas before sending the Spaniard through on goal. 

The second and third goals came quite quickly for the home fans' liking as Chennaiyin crumbled spectacularly. What had to be noted was that the Chennaiyin midfield looked porous. They were unable to exert pressure on FC Goa, did not hold on to the ball when they had it and Rene Mihelic was almost invisible. 

As expected, Gregory changed the shape of the team with the introduction of winger Gregory Nelson and Bikramjit Singh for Rene Mihelic and Dhanachandra Singh, reverting to an attacking 3-4-3. It produced a response from the home side who displayed terrific intensity to lay siege to the FC Goa goal. Bikramjit's inclusion was key as he gave some solidity to the midfield while Nelson was enterprising and should have scored after capitalising on a poor pass by an FC Goa defender. 

That was always a danger with Lobera insisting on his side playing out of the defence. Many a time in the second half, they invited pressure on them with a risky passing strategy in their defensive third. 

However, after that initial period in the second half, The Gaurs started to get on the ball more often but Laxmikant Kattimani's goalkeeping blunders gave Chennaiyin a way back into the tie. First, he spilt a straightforward freekick into goal before clumsily barging Jeje inside the penalty box at a crucial juncture to give away a penalty. 

They ultimately managed to hold on and prevail 3-2 to notch a deserved three points but Sergio Lobera's side were not convincing defensively when pressure was exerted on them. Which makes one wonder why Chennaiyin FC took so long to do it? 

Chennaiyin looked a far better side once they found themselves in a position where they had to take the game to Goa. Perhaps John Gregory needed to trust his methods and put the team out to play to their strengths at home rather than think too much about their opponents' style of play. 

On the night, however, the home team were poor in the first half and paid the ultimate prize for it while FC Goa served up a reminder to the rest of the league that they mean business, for they showcased a certain cutting-edge in attack that should get opposing defences slightly worried.