Northeast United FC are surely one of the biggest franchise, when it comes to club football in India. Though the club hasn’t been that successful in its six years of existence, the club is best known for promoting local talent and also for its huge fan base.
After having a disappointing campaign last season, Northeast United brought a complete transformation to their club retaining only 8 local and 1 overseas players from the previous season to the 2020-21 season. This season the highlanders have surely enjoyed their best ever transfer window, but have the highlanders done enough to stand a chance to play in the playoffs?
Northeast United’s fate last season was ruined because of injuries. The star Asamoah Gyan, got injured after playing only 6 games for the club and was forced to miss the rest of the season. In conjunction with injuries, also came further attacking problems for the team. The team had lost their talisman and their captain.
The team struggled to pick points and also to score goals. As a result of which they finished the season in 9th position, with the least amount of goals scored. Keeping this in mind, Northeast United FC this season have built up a strong attacking unit consisting of young and talented players, and have also kept alternatives.
The team has a strong midfield, with the likes of local players like Britto, Lalengmawia, Fanai, Rocharzella, Pragyan Gogoi, Ninthoi, etc. and some amazing overseas players, such as Federica Gallego, who is playing his third consecutive season with the club and is certainly the most important player in their squad , Luis Machado who is joining the club from the Portuguese top flight outfit Moreorense FC and is super talented. Khassa Camara, who will surely add a French flavour to the squad.
Idrissa Sylla, Kwesi Appiah, VP Suhair and Lalkhawpuimawia making up the attack. Unlike last year, the highlanders this season have done better this season in terms of choosing their attack, as it consists of experienced and talented players , with the ability to find the back of net.
Defensively also, the Highlanders have done really good this season, by appointing players like Benjamin Lambot, who has recently played in the Belgium top Division, also he is well experienced and will play a key role this season. Dylan Fox is another foreign recruit for this season, the Centre Back joined the Highlanders, from the A league outfit Central Coast Mariners and is a really promising player. Other players in the defense, consist of the expirienced Ashutosh Mehta, Gurjinder Kumar, Wayne Vaz, Rakesh Pradhan, etc.
Subhashis Roy Chowdhury, is the sole keeper in the squad for now and also is the team’s first choice after his heroic performance with the highlanders last year.
Another merit of this squad is that it consists of of many young players. In fact the average age of the squad, is just 26 years.
After viewing all players on the basis of their positions, we can clearly say that the highlanders have built a really strong force this season. Also, the team’s head coach Gerrard Nus, loves to play attackingly, by controlling the game and scoring goals. And we have already seen how strong of an attack Northeast United are posing this season.
It is very early to predict wether the squad can win the league. But what we can predict for sure is that Northeast United FC this season have build the strongest version of themselves and are surely a team to watch out for.