ISL 2020-21: 3 players who can help SC East Bengal turn their season around
In the five games that SC East Bengal has played in this year's Indian Super League, they have managed one goal-less draw and four losses. While the most-recent game against Hyderabad FC saw the Red and Gold brigade give a fairly good account of themselves, their debut season in the ISL has been a torrid one, to say the least.
One can argue that it will take time for Robbie Fowler and his band of merry men to settle into the ISL, but it would be wrong to assume that there is no pressure on Fowler and his team.
There have also been some poor decisions that have gone against SC East Bengal in the ISL this year. The red card against Eugeneson Lyngdoh was as soft as they come, and the matter has promptly been reported to the AIFF.
As things stand, SC East Bengal find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table, a position that they did not expect to be in. We look at three players who can help the Red and Gold brigade move up the table in their upcoming fixtures.
#1 Jacques Maghoma
Jacques Maghoma came into the ISL on the back of some terrific performances with Birmingham City in the second division in England. While he was an unknown commodity before the season, Maghoma has been SC East Bengal's most impressive player.
Each time Maghoma has the ball at his feet, he is always trying to make something happen. The 33-year-old opened the scoring for his club in the fifth game of the tournament when he netted a brace against Hyderabad FC.
Although the match resulted in a 3-2 loss for SC East Bengal, Maghoma's performance will give Fowler something to be happy about. The former Liverpool striker may also consider building the team around Maghoma.
#2 Anthony Pilkington
With a number of appearances in the English Premier League to his name, 32-year-old Anthony Pilkington has been an important player for SC East Bengal this season. The former Norwich City FC attacker has also been wearing the captain's armband in the continued absence of first-choice captain Danny Fox.
Pilkington has come close to scoring on a few occasions and has impressed fans with a good string of performances. His work-rate in the humid conditions in Goa, in particular, has been praised by many.
The Irishman's performances will have an impact SC East Bengal's subsequent performances this season.
#3 Narayan Das
Narayan Das is currently the second-most capped player in the history of the Indian Super League. This statistic has underlined his consistency as one of the best full-backs in the ISL. This also makes him one of the most important players in Robbie Fowler's SC East Bengal side.
The 27-year-old has started all of SC's East Bengal's matches in the ISL this season and is nearing 100 appearances in the tournament. Due to the continued absence of Danny Fox, Das has had to step-up alongside Senhaj Singh, Mohammad Irshad, and Scott Neville. He most recently played in central midfield in the team's 3-2 loss to Hyderabad FC.