ISL 2016, Marquee Player watch: Ranking the 8 top signings after a month of footballing action
The Indian Super League completed one month of action in its third edition and as expected, fireworks were seen in every venue of the match on the field. Along with luring big names for this season, talented young Indian players have come into the reckoning and done well in the first month of the campaign. A tight race is expected as usual for the top four spots with all the teams still in the race to reach the knockout stages.
Coming to the marquee players of each team, Kolkata's Helder Postiga and Mumbai City's Diego Forlan lead the way as the duo have emerged as crucial cogs in their team. All the marquee signings for their respective clubs seem to have settled in quite well as the tournament now comes down to its business end.
A majority of the marquees have done a remarkable job for their team while some have struggled to put in a real shift, as the first month had a tremendous fixture congestion which might have been too much for some. Let's take a look at how each of the marquee signings have done for their respective clubs and rank them performance wise :
#8 Lucio (FC Goa)
The Brazilian veteran has played five matches for the Gaurs this season but has not looked at his usual best. In the first game against NorthEast, Goa's captain started the game well but faded with his age showing in the proceedings as he was slow at times to pick up the opposition's movements. In two games, Lucio was brought on as a substitute and couldn't muster more than ten minutes in the game.
His individual best game came against Pune City though Goa lost that game 2-1. Lucio was exceptional in that game as he was brilliant in the air and also made some important tackles. Goa's only win against Mumbai City came when Lucio was out with a slight injury which speaks volumes of his current form.
#7 John Arne Riise (Chennaiyin FC)
Riise made a switch to the champions for the current season as the Super Machans announced the former Liverpool left-back as their marquee player. The Norwegian though has not hit the ground running as expected with the veteran playing just four out of six games for Chennaiyin. He started the first game against Kolkata but was guilty of conceding possession and committing unnecessary errors in the first game.
He was run ragged in the 3-1 loss to his former side Delhi as the Dynamos' front line took advantage of Riise's lack of pace. He was brilliant against FC Pune City as he negated the aerial threat of Dramane Traore very well. A decent showing in the game against FC Goa was however followed by being benched against NorthEast and Kerala Blasters.