Jamshedpur FC are off to a flying start in the Indian Super League (ISL) season five. They are currently standing on the second position on the league table with a win and a draw.
They kicked-off their campaign with a convincing 2-0 win over Mumbai City FC followed by a 2-2 draw against Bengaluru FC. Interestingly, both the matches were held away from home.
It is an impressive start to their second season under Spanish coach Cesar Ferrando who has brought in a fresh style of play at the club.
In their debut season, even though the club missed out on the play-offs by a whisker their playing style was scrutinised. They earned a tag of being a defensive team under Steve Coppell.
Jamshedpur had scored their first goal of ISL last season in their fourth match. They went on to score just 16 goals in 18 matches. Compared to that they have already scored four goals in the first two matches, just one less than table toppers FC Goa, which is an early sign of promise.
The team has also played attacking football under the tutelage of former Atletico Madrid coach Ferrando. As promised he has successfully imbibed the Spanish philosophy among the Jamshedpur players to an extent. With a lot of Spanish players in the ranks, he has been able to get his players to showcase a passing style.
The most notable aspect of Ferrando which has grabbed the attention this season is his courage and intention to promote inexperienced players.
A lot was spoken about three players in the current Jamshedpur squad who were promoted from the reserve side this season - Mobashir Rahman, Gourav Mukhi and Vishal Das.
ISL
In the first match against Mumbai, Ferrando introduced Mobashir in the second half at a time when they were leading by just one goal. Mumbai were completely in control of the game. Bringing on the youngster at such a crucial juncture in the match in place of an influential Mario Arques was extremely brave from the coach.
In the second game, Mobashir once again made his way into the field in the second half along with another debutant in Gourav Mukhi. The latter did justice to the trust showed by his coach and scored the first equaliser of the match.
ISL
Midfielder Mobashir Rahman has shown early promise. He has already got a game time of 50 minutes in the first two matches and the Spanish coach is clearly content with the youngster’s performance.
Along with bringing in a style of football which pleasing to eyes, Ferrando is making sure the inexperienced Indian players in his squad get ample opportunity to showcase their talent. He has come with an open mind to the country and is ready to give a player a chance if he is good enough, irrespective of his age, experience and reputation.
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