Is Indian Super League (ISL) Just A Gimmick?
When the All India Football Association announced the proposal to create a high profile city-based football league back in 2012, many, including myself, were both genuinely surprised that an organization so corrupt, so lethargic could plan such a massive competition, and had high hopes from it. AIFF had promised that this league would boast some of the greatest names of the footballing world from a bygone era, and that there would be specific guidelines for nurturing young footballers and infrastructure development, something that the country sorely needed( and still does) to make its presence felt in the footballing world. However, almost a season and a half into the Indian Super League, or ISL, as it is better known as, I couldn’t be more disillusioned about Indian Football.
As I sit down to write this, the once-mighty Indian team, whose players used to be scouted by the Top European Teams, are now languishing at number 167 in the latest FIFA world rankings. Our National Team has just come back from a humiliating, yet expected 3-0 loss away to Oman in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, but this country and its citizens seem least bothered by all that. And why should they, the ‘God Of Football’ Pele has come to our land, and we would rather post pictures of him entering the stadium, speaking on the mic or signing autographs than worry about the plight of football in the nation.
ISL was supposed to be a platform to harness young and upcoming talents, but it seems to have done everything but that. The AIFF has signed a 1000 crore deal with IMG-R, and that has put Reliance in a pole position to fill its coffers. It’s funny how deluded a country can be: lights go off in our stadiums during a derby; school functions and award ceremonies are hosted in our stadiums; the clubs do not have the schedule of the I- League and local leagues in time, and even if they do, the games are shuffled according to the whims of the organizers; our National League games go on even when our National Team is playing because they haven’t been scheduled properly; clubs like JCT, Mahindra United are shutting down because their owners see no point in competing in a dead league that has zero appeal to the masses or to sponsors; but feed us a cup of ‘let’s football’ spiced up by some Bollywood swagger, some cheap business gimmicks and some superstars from the eras gone by, and we will come in hordes to lick the plates clean. Never mind what the National Team does, never mind the fact that the AIFF conveniently skips international friendly dates, never mind that we do not have any age-wise academy in the land, which would not only hone the younger lot of footballers but also allow them the time and exposure to develop to their full potential, something that was announced with much pomp and show when FIFA’s President came to visit India way back in 2007.
Cinema Stars Like Rajinikanth getting more attention than our Indian National Footballers
Thanks to the Bolly blitz and tricks, football has been shifted from the bottom corner of the last page of the newspaper to Page 3, but the question of whether ISL can really bring about any change in the current footballing scenario in India remains a massive doubt. For no matter how many selfies Nita Ambani and Arjun Kapoor click with Pele or Roberto Carlos, if the AIFF does not push towards establishing a proper football calendar, if they do not establish more and more age-specific footballing academies, if they do not revive tournaments like the Durand Cup, Kalinga Cup, DCM Cup, if they fail to sign up sponsors for the I- League and rule the clubs with a strict hand, if they do not prioritize the National Team and set targets every year, no good will ever happen to the game. Of course, it’s hard to think that the AIFF would be bothered about it, for all they want is the people in power to harvest enough profits every year, even if it means they are killing the sport that gave them such power in the first place.
When it comes to Asian teams in the World, Korean players take the greatest stands. So let us look at the Best Korean Football Players of All Time.
Among the Asian Football Giants, South Korea is probably the most successful team. Some of the best Korean players have shown their abilities in World Cups and Europe, including the Premier League. Here it is. A look at the Best Korean Football Players of All Time.
1. Lee Woon-Jae
Lee Woon-Jae was one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time for South Korea. He was a part of four World Cups in 1994, 2002, 2006 and 2010. One of his brilliant performances came in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, in which he kept clean sheets against Spain, Poland and Portugal.
He won four K-League titles, six cups and the 2001-02 AFC Champions League with Suwon Bluewings. Lee Woon was named the league’s MVP in 2008.
2. Son Heung-min
Son is amongst the best Korean Players of all time and has made his name around the World. He plays as a forward for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
He has been Premier League Player of the Month, AFC Asian International Player of the year. Son has played for Hamburger SV II, Hamburger SV, Bayer Leverkusen, and Tottenham.
3. Hong Myung-bo
Hong Myung is considered one of the best Asian footballers who played as a sweeper. He is the first Asian footballer who appeared in four consecutive World Cups. He was also the first Asian player to get a Bronze Ball in the World Cup.
The most capped player in the history of South Korea with 136 caps was the only man from his country to be included in FIFA’s 100 – Pele’s selection of the top 125 greatest living players in the World.
4. Lee Young-Pyo
Lee Young is known for his time in Tottenham Hotspur, where he won the League Cup and made almost 100 appearances. In addition, he won two league titles and the KNVB Cup with PSV.
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He made 127 appearances for the national side, making him the third most capped player in South Korea’s history. Lee also had a stint with Borussia Dortmund in 2008.
5. Cho Kwang-Rae
Cho Kwang is regarded as one of the most talented South Korean midfielders of all time, which got him the nickname “Computer Linker” during his playing days.
From 1976 to 1986 made his appearance in 100 International competitions and scored 15 times. He spent his club career at Yonsei University, Pohang Steelworks, Army FC and Daewoo Royals.
6. Choi Soon-ho
Choi Soon is a former player who now works as a South Korean football manager. He is often regarded as one of the greatest South Korean strikers of all time.
He became the youngest top scorer in the history of the AFC Asian Cup at just 18. In addition, Choi led his team to the 1980 AFC Youth Championship Award.
7. Park Ji Sung
One of the most known names in South Korean footballing history. He had more success at the club than any other South Korean has ever managed. His seven-year stint at Manchester United was great under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Park is the first Asian player to have scored in three consecutive World Cups. In addition, he has won four Premier League titles, three League Cups and the Champions League. He is one of the most decorated Asian players of all time.
8. Cha Bum-Kun
Cha Bum was a special player for South Korea. He made his debut way back in 1972 and became the youngest ever player for Korea to do so.
He earned 121 caps for the country and scored 55 goals, making him the top scorer for his national side. Cha Bum established himself as one of the top strikers in Europe following his move to the Bundesliga IFFHS named him the greatest Asian footballer of the 20th century.
9. Lee Hoe-taik
He was one of the best Korean football players in history, nicknamed “Leopard” due to his fast speed and strong shorts. He made 81 appearances for the national team and scored 21 times. Lee Hoe won the Asian title a total of 8 times.
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Lee is one of the only four footballers enlisted into the Korean Football Hall of Fame, which makes him one of the best Korean soccer players of all time.
10. Hwang Sun-Hong
Hwang was one of the most important players for South Korea during the 2002 World Cup. He scored their tournament’s opening goal and helped the team win their first-ever World Cup match.
He made 103 international appearances scoring 50 goals for this side. Hwang has scored in all of the major competitions, including Confederations Cup and World Cups, making him one of the best Korean Soccer players of All Time.
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1 In, 1 Out – 2 Key Transfer Deals Fulham Could Complete This January Including This Wolves Star
Slavisa Jokanovic
1 In And 1 Out – 2 Transfers That Fulham Could Complete In January
I hate to sound like a broken record, but I’m so hugely frustrated with Fulham this season and their manager Slavisa Jokanovic. I’m annoyed because I like Jokanovic but his choices this year confuse me. Last season, they did alright and stayed in the slipstream of the top six for the first-half of the campaign, all the while playing good football and entertaining people.
In the second half of the campaign, Ryan Sessegnon was unleashed on the league and with Scott Malone occupying left-back, the youngster was played as a left winger in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Things were simple; Cairney wanted to play in the middle, did so and attracted a £20million bid from Newcastle. Sessegnon was on the left and showed his true attacking talent which even at that age was too much for most defences, while Sone Aluko was as usual at home, cutting in from the right.
This season, he has tinkered with various formations which have left Cairney and the influential Stefan Johansen out of position, while the boss insists that Sessegnon is a left-back. It’s maddening. However, he appears to be stubborn on this one and so any ins and out may reflect this:
Ben Marshall (Wolverhampton Wanderers, In)
Jokanovic simply won’t listen to reason regarding Sessegnon, so even when he does return to the 4-2-3-1 formation which sprung them to a play-off place at the end of the season, it would appear he won’t play the young man there on the long-term.
Ben Marshall has long since been linked with a move south though and he is comfortable in that position himself, something which was shown when this was his regular starting place at Wolves last season under Paul Lambert, who of course knows him so well.
Ryan Sessegnon (Tottenham Hotspur, Out)
Even if he stayed, he wouldn’t be in rightful position and I fear for the player that it’ll now happen either way, with Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino seemingly seeing the young England hopeful as a replacement for Danny Rose, who could be about to join Manchester United for £50million after having fallen out with the boss somewhat.
Whatever money is offered for Sessegnon will be huge, so there is no way Fulham will turn it down I feel. As far as the player is concerned, he would be wise to make the move regardless of his position on the pitch, as he can always state his case for playing further forward, somewhere down the line, much like what Gareth Bale did.
Article
Sign Him Up Klopp – This £22m Serie A Defender Is Statistically Better Than Liverpool’s Current Lot
Emerson Palmieri
Why Liverpool Should Look To Sign Emerson Palmieri In January
Liverpool’s Premier League season is going through a rough patch and Jurgen Klopp’s side has conceded 16 times in 9 outings so far in the league. The defence has been a major concern and a string of dismal defensive displays have made things complicated for the Reds, especially following previous weekend’s disastrous 4-1 Wembley defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
Klopp’s summer transfer policy was highly criticised for not bringing in a centre-back which was considered as their topmost priority and his defensive options like Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan have failed to impress the gaffer due to their error-prone displays.
The entire back five of Liverpool needs an upgrade and despite early promises shown by the youngsters like Danny Ward, Joe Gomez, Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, the back line lacks experience as well as consistency. Nathaniel Clyne is yet to return from his injury whereas Joel Matip is also proving to be little inconsistent lately.
Left-back Alberto Moreno, surprisingly, has been the most influential defender for the Merseysiders who has improved drastically following a couple of disappointing campaigns. Yet, the Liverpool defence is not good enough if we compare them with both the Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur and if reports from several outlets are believed to be true, Reds boss Klopp is set to complete the £22m transfer of AS Roma left-back Emerson Palmieri who has been extensively scouted in recent years and a summer move reportedly broke down due to his ACL rupture that he suffered towards the end of the previous campaign and is yet to recover fully from this long-standing injury.
Emerson, 23, joined the Serie A heavyweights back in 2015 from Santos and despite being a second-fiddle to Lucas Digne, the Brazil-born defender has earned regular status after Digne’s departure (who joined Barcelona) and has impressed in the short run following a balanced display down the left flank. He has showed great attacking skills but has maintained defensive composure at the same time – something Liverpool desperately need to sort out as early as possible.
Liverpool’s left-back conundrum is nothing new. Since Jose Enrique’s egress, the Reds have experimented many in that role, but most of them failed to earn a regular status. Moreno joined them back in 2014 but failed to convince the gaffer with his erroneous outings. Klopp had to play versatile James Milner in a makeshift left-back role last season, who, against all odds, did a tremendous job in an unusual slot and benched the Spaniard for the majority of the campaign.
Moreno was on the verge of being transferred out and Klopp brought in young Scotsman Andrew Robertson following an impressive Premier League campaign with Hull City. But Moreno sensationally turned his fortunes around with a stellar pre-season campaign and re-registered his place in the starting XI despite Robertson’s commendable performances in limited opportunities.
The Reds now have three options for the left-back slot including James Milner; Emerson’s arrival thus will jeopardise Robertson’s career growth furthermore. The Roma youngster has statistical superiority that makes him an upgrade on the current options and his signing will be a strong message of Klopp’s intent to rebuild his defensive line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmB2dUIHRC8
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