Northeast United had their best ISL season last term with Eelco Schattorie guiding the side to a playoff position. However with both Eelco and their talismanic striker Bart Ogbeche both moving to Kerala, the NEUFC had their task cut out to ensure they have a team that can replicate last year’s performance. However with the appointment of Robert Jarni as Head Coach and the marque signing of Asamoah Gyan, they look set to give a good account of themselves this season.
SQUAD
- Will miss out on some of their key players from last season like Ogbeche, Rowlin, Grgic, Mascia and the injured Gallego
- However, in addition to the statement signing of Gyan they have also made some astute recruitments with talented youngsters like Martin Chavez and Kai Heerings
- They have also added a youthful element to the team with the likes of Ninthoi, Moya and the 16-year old Alfred Lalruotsang
PRESEASON RESULTS
TACTICAL SYSTEM
- 4-2-3-1 is the preferred formation for the Croatian Robert Jarni
- When we looked at Jarni’s previous teams including the Croatia U20, one observation was that the average possession was less than 50%
- The new coach’s system tactical approach focuses on having a strong and disciplined defense, and it is highlighted by the fact that they only conceded once in pre-season
Expected lineup (4-2-3-1): Pawan; Reagan- Komorski- Heerings- Shouvik; Leudo- Milan; Lalthathanga- Chavez- Tlang; Gyan
KEY PLAYERS
#15. Komorski (CB)
- Last season, Komorski formed a formidable defensive partnership with Grgic
- However an injury cut short his season and Northeast thoroughly missed his services
- This season he has already made a solid understanding with Kai Heerings and have maintained 3 clean sheets and conceded just 1 goal in 4 pre-season games together
- Last season he averaged 23 successful defensive actions per 90 minutes and an average of 7.2 clearances per game
- As shown from the graph below, he even had a pass accuracy in excess of 82%
- (The spike in the graph indicates the 1 red card he received during the season)
Komorski- Key Stats (2018-19 season)
#3. Asamoah Gyan (CF)
- The 33-year old Ghanaian is one of the biggest names in the ISL this year and he brings with him loads of top-flight international experience
- He last featured for Turkish club Kayserispor in the top flight
- Although he did not get much playing time, he scored 5 goals and assisted 3 in just 496 minutes (45 goal involvements per 90 minutes)
- He also featured for Ghana in the African Cup of Nations in 2 games
- With Ogbeche gone, the goalscoring responsibility will fall on his shoulders
Gyan Goals Data 
SPORTSKPI WILDCARD PLAYER
#32. Lalthathanga Khawlhring (CM)
- The Mizoram youngster featured prominently for NEUFC last season under Schattorie, making an appearance in each of the 20 matches the Highlanders played
- Puitea offers the versatility of being able to play in a multiple of positions in midfield
- He has featured in all the games in pre-season as well
- As the plot graph suggests, his key strength is his passing with a short pass accuracy of 83.25%
- He also averaged 94 successful defensive actions per 90 minutes, highlighting Jarni’s point about the commitment level of the Indian players in his squad
- This season we expect Puitea to impress yet again adding elements like crossing and finishing to his game
Lalthathanga Key Stats (2018/19 Season)
SEASON PREDICTION
- Playoff Possibility: Likely to battle it out for the final playoff spot
- They will definitely be an interesting team to watch with all the young players in the lineup and if Gyan and fellow forwards can complement the defensive discipline of Jarni with goals, then they are likely to push for a top-4 finish
Article by our Senior Football Analyst – Mishal Thanveer
