Mumbai FC trio to help Kerala Blasters address their defensive woes
KERALA BLASTERS HAVE sought to fortify their defence with 3 signings from Mumbai FC, including two experienced goalkeepers.
The Kochi-based franchise has secured the trio of Sandip Nandy, Kunal Sawant and Pratik Chowdhary for their upcoming ISL 2016 campaign, according to a Goal.com report.
While Nandy - a 41 year old veteran who has played top division football since 1999 and earned 16 India caps - has been a part of the Kerala Blasters squad since the first edition of the private tournament, the 29 year old Kunal Sawant is a new recruit. Interestingly, both played second fiddle to Pawan Kumar and Sanjiban Ghosh at Mumbai FC this season. In case newly-reinstated head coach David James decidesc to bring back Stephen Bywater or sign some other prominent keeper, these two are likely to turn out to be affordable reserves in the squad.
But the signing of 26 year old defender Pratik Chowdhary is significant. The former Air India, Rangdajied United and Mohun Bagan player has really come into his own in the 2015-16 season playing through an always-under-pressure Mumbai FC campaign in the I-League and Federation Cup. Given the dismal defensive record of ISL 2015 during which KBFC conceded 27 goals - the maximum in the tournament - a central defence pairing of Sandesh Jhingan and Pratik Chowdhary may be the first piece of the puzzle to solve their back four - or five or six - woes.
