I read that column and wonder why would East Bengal officials want to run back to Tolgay. If it is just because he scored 4 goals in a match this round, I would term it utterly ridiculous. I would have expected MB folks to take such decisions.
Again the same reluctance to try new faces makes the transfer season boring for Kolkata based football clubs. Mohun Bagan is still trying to work out a deal with Sony Norde and the other foreigner that plays for Dhonmundi, Bangladesh! I mean there is a reason they are playing in Bangladesh of all countries! Of course one will cite Odafa. But I would say that any random burly African guy with a bit of opportunist play can push and shove and score in I-League.
If we can't look for any better quality players, I would wish ISL prevails and I-League is doomed
Odafa is a washed up player now. Look at all the goals he has scored this season! There are three reasons he has scored goals:
1) He physically pushes weak Indian defenders and uses his long legs to get on balls.
2) He gets lucky with a few poaching chances.
3) He knows the Indian system. Against Sporting Goa there were many times I saw that he would do things that a normal, professional striker would not do like drift into certain areas of the box and move into space created by useless Indian players. Why does he do this and succeed? He knows the system. He has been in India for years now, he knows what Indian defenders will do and how useless they are so he will exploit it.
That is all there is to it for him. Sure, it may work for a club but it does not improve Indian football. We need players who will improve Indian football, not the same old guys who can get success but dont do anything else. We are not at the stage where we can say, okay, enough improvement, lets go for all out success yet.
These oldies like Yusif Yakubu, Dudu, Chidi, Ranty, Odafa, Beto are still scoring in Indian football. Calcutta clubs have an eye on local calcutta league as these players are enough for that as well as big payments, cutbacks, commissions.
@Somesh What do you think will change with ISL? ISL is keen on players who are retired from active football.
We need a more refreshing approach like what Bangalore FC has done this season.
Westwood and Johnson are bound by 2 year contracts like everyone at BFC
Robin Singh had a USL club offer but it was turned down by the club.
BFC refusal to play ball with IMG-R and refusal to play in ISL might open the door for some franchise to bid for Sunil Chhetri, BFC could then opt to loan or cash in on their asset.
in other gossip...
Holicharan Narzary, Alwayn George, Pranoy Halder, Narayan Das and Prabir Das all signed with an unknown Kolkata agent* who promised to get them all trials in Australian clubs in the summer. They are paying this agent 5% fee from their new contracts...
Latest gossip from Dempo insiders is that the agent is a proxy for Arthur Papas ( who is the one who will get the trials in Oz) , when Holicaharan refused to pay his share , Arthur hasn't started him ever since !
Maybe this disease is contagious at Dempo , Arthur picking up where Armando left off...
Comments
@Somesh What do you think will change with ISL? ISL is keen on players who are retired from active football.
We need a more refreshing approach like what Bangalore FC has done this season.