Jamshedpur FC are one of the few teams who have managed to do some serious business this transfer window. The team considered to be the dark horses in the last season ended up on the 8th position. The team had an underwhelming performance under the then coach Antonio Iriondo, with significant absentees siting to some injuries early in the season.
With the appointment of Owen Coyle as the new gaffer, JFC rejigged the whole setup to bring together a superb mix. The acquisition of Coyle who managed to take Chennaiyin FC from the clutched of the rockbottom of the table to the Indian Super League Final can be the key moment for JFC as they’ll be eyeing the top ranks for the upcoming season.
As we take a lookback, Jamshedpur FC has seen a set of high profile departures from their yesteryear’s squad. The veteran goalkeeper Subrata Paul has boarded his flight to city of Nawaabs where he would be donning the Yellow and black jersey for Hyderabad FC. The Spanish triad of Piti, Noe Acosta and Castle have returned back to their home country and will ply their trade in Tercera and Segunda divisions respectively.
Another pair of foreigners in the names of Tiri and Memo got hold of intra league transfers. The most sought after foreign defender, Tiri went on to sign a contract with ATK Mohun Bagan FC after holding initial talks with Kerala Blasters FC that eventually did not materialize. Whereas Memo got picked for their rivals, Chennaiyin FC in what seemed to be a barter settlement.
Considering their Indian contingent, 2 major names will be missed out for the upcoming season as Farukh Chaudhary and CK Vineeth penned a deal elsewhere. The Mumbai boy, Farukh joined his home club Mumbai City FC on a 3 year long contract. On the other hand, the experienced CK Vineeth joined East Bengal FC who will be making their maiden appearance in the Indian Super League.
Having covered most of the outgoing transfers, lets take a look on the arrivals. What lays ahead for Jamshedpur FC is majorly in the hands of these campaigners. The X factor for Jamshedpur would arguably be its central defense. New season unfolds the addition of two rock solid centre backs. The acquisition of Peter Hartley and Stephen Eze was something to cherish for the fans.
Peter Hartley who is going to lead the team, has a plethora of experience from the United Kingdom. Having played for Motherwell, Sunderland, Blackpool, Bristol and many other euro clubs, Hartley was undoubtedly the choice for Owen Coyle’s Jamshedpur FC. Stephen Eze, the 26 year old Nigerian who stands 1.98 metres tall will be pairing up with Hartley and duo already seems to be pretty formidable.
The ex Chennaiyin duo of Nerijus Valskis and Laldinliana Renthlei followed coach Owen to JFC. The Jamshedpur attack got bolstered with the addition of the Lithuanian Valskis who was reckoned as the ISL Golden boot winner for the 19-20 season. The addition of Jackichand Singh on the wings have definitely solidified the Jamshedpur lineup to some extent.
The Goalkeeper duo of Pawan Kumar and TP Rehenesh was roped in to fill the void left by Subrata Paul. The foreign contingent ranks were appended with the addition of Alex Lima and Nick Fitzgerald. The Brazilian Alex Lima has tremendous experience when it comes to Asia as he has played Vietnamese and Korean clubs. The winger from down under, Nick Fitzgerald who played for numerous A league outfits fills in the Asian quota for Jamshedpur.
The overall squad looks a perfect amalgamation of offense and defense. The appointment of Owen Coyle who has tasted good success in short span on the Indian soils might be the turning point for the Men of Steel. Here’s how the team would possibly lineup:
Jamshedpur FC – Probable XI
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