Mumbai FC struggle to beat the odds

Wednesday, 23. September 2009 - Sujay Sharma

It's a pity that a club which shares its name with a city like Mumbai is at present mired in crisis so soon after inception.

While the intentions at the start seemed right, and were followed by a dream performance in their maiden I-League appearance, things have unravelled ingloriously and fast since the turn of the year.

Starting with the club's backers bleeding dry financially; most of their former players not having been paid for months; their recruitment having been restricted to players unwanted by others and very little clue as to who the foreign imports will be, Mumbai FC's problems are many and varied.

Moreover, they have appointed a rookie coach who will be in his first season in charge of a senior team and will be guiding a group of greenhorns with only local Mumbai football experience.

Everything points out to a recipe for disaster. Most will hold the losses suffered by the Indian Cricket League as responsible for Mumbai FC's undoing. But not cutting one's blanket according to one's cloth is an adage applicable to every field and at all times.


Strengths

The foundations that were set are probably still better than many other clubs in India, in terms of a decent off-field professional set-up and also forging a link with the city's locals. They could still end up being the most well-supported of the three I-League teams from Mumbai, considering the significant number of popular and local Mumbai players they boast of in their senior and junior teams.

Hopefully, the presence of a strong home crowd might spur on the boys to give of their best and grind out results that can let them dream of survival.

The management is also expecting a rapid turnaround in the parent company's fortunes before the I-League gets over, allowing them to flex their financial muscles and rope in some talismanic foreigners along with a few quality Indian players in the second transfer window.

The fact that almost everyone expects them to be relegated too may be of help, with opponents underestimating them going into the games. Also, the Cooperage's small size can suit their strategy to play on the counter and grind out results.


Weaknesses

Unless the squad -- at least in the shape it is in right now - is bolstered soon and that too with foreign imports, there is very little quality to cut at the top level of Indian football.

All their star performers from last season have bid adieu. The absence of the likes of Abel Hammond, Felix Aboagye, James Dissimarah, Kalia Kulothungan, Kalyan Chaubey, Abhishek Yadav, Selwyn Fernandes, Riston Rodrigues, Kuttymani and the Koraliadan twins Anees and Aseem will surely be felt.

With only the likes of Anes Edathodika and Alex Ambrose still around, it is difficult to see where that quality to inspire will come from.

Subhas Chakraborty is a former-India player but too injury prone, while the plentiful and talented young Mumbai lads like Craig D'Souza, Nishant Mehra, Keegan and Dane Pereira, and Darren Caldeira will have to mature very quickly and very well if they are to make a dent at the national level.

Add to it a rookie coach in Jamil. He is a hugely respected personality in Mumbai football circles and the founding captain of the club. But putting him in charge of a team which is very thin on experience is like throwing him into the deep end of the ocean.


Coach's view

Assistant coach Henry Picado felt lack of expectations ought to help the team in the long run.

"Although the team has not played many games this pre-season, we are optimistic that we will do all right. Noel Wilson and Alex Ambrose will be our two key players and we will push to try and achieve a mid-table result. Also, we don't have much pressure on our team this season," said Picardo.


Management speak

Mukul Choudhari, the head of Mumbai FC, rubbished claims the club might shut shop if it fails to stay afloat this season.

"I will go on record as saying that all the rumours that purport that we will end up shutting the club sometime in the future are all absolutely wrong and just that - rumours. All teams have problems, and deal with it. Just to take Air India's high profile problems at the company level; that has not affected their football team that much, and much the same goes for us," said Choudhari.

"Yes, we did take time to get started this season, but that was mainly due to the negative press all around, which needed us to convince people that things would be ok and to get back to working in a normal manner."

He said they have finalised the foreigners in the  '3 + 1 Asian' rule and claimed their preparations are on the right track.

"We deliberately took a call to not participate in any pre-season tournaments as we wanted all other issues regarding the team-building to be completed slowly and effectively, and go into a tournament fully prepared. Roughly the same was also done last season, and as you know, we did quite well come I-League time that time," Choudhari opined.


Key players

Noel Wilson, Anes Edathodika, Subhas Chakraborty, Alex Ambrose.