ATK Mohun Bagan: ISL 2021-22 fixtures, squad, strengths, weaknesses and star players

ATK Mohun Bagan will be keen to prove a point in the upcoming edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) after missing out on both the league shield and the championship to Mumbai City FC by a whisker. Antonio Habas remains in charge and although his team failed miserably in the AFC Cup, he definitely knows a thing or two about being successful in the ISL, especially with a star-studded team. 

The team flew to Goa on October 17 with the national team players like Pritam Kotal, Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco, Subhasish Bose joining their team-mates on October 20. Players like Deepak Tangri, Sumit Rathi who were with the India U-23 team have also joined the team. 

ATK Mohun Bagan Squad

Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Avilash Paul, Arsh Anwar Sheikh. 

Defenders: Sumit Rathi, Tiri, Ashutosh Mehta, Subhasish Bose, Pritam Kotal, Deepak Tangri, Prabir Das, Michael Soosairaj. 

Midfielders: Bidyananda Singh, Joni Kauko, Carl McHugh, Hugo Boumous, Ricky Shabong, Abhishek Suryavanshi, SK Sahil, Lenny Rodrigues, Engson Singh, Kiyan Nassiri. 

Forwards: Roy Krishna, David Williams, Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh. 

What are the strengths of ATK Mohun Bagan? 

The Green and Maroon army are one of the stronger squads in the ISL ISL with quality players covering each position. In Roy Krishna, they have one of the deadliest strikers in ISL. The Fijian striker guarantees at least 15 goals a season which is a phenomenal return for a striker. His combination with former Wellington Phoenix teammate David Williams is a nightmare for most defenders. 

This season they also have Hugo Boumous in their ranks who is known for his creativity and an ability to find create openings. The midfielder is one of the best in his business and there's little doubt over his calibre after his heroics with his previous sides, namely Mumbai City FC and FC Goa. If Boumous combines well with Krishna and Williams, it will create a lot of problems for the opposition.

There are a couple of versatile players in the squad like Deepak Tangri, Carl McHugh who can slot in midfield as well as in the backline with ease. This adds to their squad depth and can prove vital if any of the key squad members gets injured. 

Whereas in defence, they have plenty of experience in the likes of Tiri, Pritam Kotal and Ashutosh Mehta. They had conceded the least number of goals in ISL in the previous season and with Habas' methods, they will once again be a tough nut to crack. 

What are the weaknesses of ATK Mohun Bagan? 

One has to be a cymini sectores to find any weakness in this ATK Mohun Bagan side. Antonio Habas has ably drilled his philosophy in this squad and to beat them, the opposition has to put their best foot forward. However, there is one chink in the armour which was exploited by Sergio Lobera's Mumbai City and that is their tendency to go on the backfoot when taking on a quality side. 

They become too cautious and shrink into their defensive cocoon which allows the opponent to create pressure on the backline. Although Habas' troops can absorb pressure with elan, sometimes the fort is breached when there's little or no breathing space. 

Moreover, the squad also lacks an additional creative midfielder. Barring Boumous, there is hardly anyone who brings creativity which can come back to haunt them, especially in the later stages of the tournament.

Who are the key players of ATK Mohun Bagan? 

The three key players of ATK Mohun Bagan who might be the difference-makers are Roy Krishna, Carl McHugh, and Hugo Boumous. 

What are the fixtures of ATK Mohun Bagan? 

All matches are to kick off at 7:30 pm IST.