3 things to expect from Jose Molina's Mohun Bagan Super Giant
Mohun Bagan Super Giant's social media handles made an unexpected announcement on the evening of June 12, surprising fans and foes alike. The club has replaced their head coach, the serial winner Antonio Lopez Habas, with Jose Molina.
Molina has big shoes to fill after Mohun Bagan lifted the Indian Super League (ISL) Winners' Shield under the tutelage of Habas, who is also a three-time winner of the ISL Cup.
However, Molina has also tasted success in the league before, lifting the ISL trophy in his only season in the league when he managed ATK in 2016. Let's take a look at three things that we can expect from the Mariners with the new Spanish tactician in charge of the proceedings at the Kolkata-based club.
#1 A departure from Antonio Habas' reactionary football
Just like now, it was Molina who had replaced Habas in ATK in 2016 as well. His introduction as the head coach brought a welcome change to ATK's playing style who had till then relied on Habas' counter-attacking football.
Although Habas' style has since evolved and seen a lot of attacking progression, Jose Molina would bring in his own stylistic change to the team's system, having a penchant of playing possession-based football.
Even though Habas does not use low blocks as much as before, many people insisted that Mohun Bagan's loss in the final was due to their reactionary football, waiting for the opponents to make the first move. With Molina, the team will take matters into their own hands on the football pitch.
#2 A dynamic foreigner-heavy attack
During Jose Molina's time at ATK, the side used an attack with a partnership of Helder Postiga and Iain Hume, with Sameegh Doutie bombing down the flank. Since 2016, the maximum number of foreigners in the XI has also been reduced to just four.
At Mohun Bagan, Molina has only three strikers to pick from, with rumors already swirling of adding another to the mix. It will be interesting to see which players Molina opts for, from a group of players largely signed by Habas and his predecessor Juan Ferrando.
#3 New foreigner signings
Mohun Bagan could make a lot of changes in personnel to suit Molina's style. He may opt for a lesser foreign striker given that the Mariners already have Dimitri Petratos, Armando Sadiku and Jason Cummings at their disposal.
It will not be surprising to see a foreign midfielder partnering Joni Kauko now that Hugo Boumous has left the team. It will be interesting to see which striker Molina opts to keep as his number nine, having used the brilliant Iain Hume in the 2016 season.
Molina's introduction to the side will see Mohun Bagan prioritize their attacking intent with their first-ever inclusion in the AFC Champions League on the cards as well.