ISL 2023-24: From Coyle’s magic to Sunil Chhetri’s exit, top talking points in Indian Super League before playoffs

The Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 is reaching its business end and the semifinalists are all but confirmed. The 10th season of the ISL, which is not India’s top division, has had its share of controversies, screamers and do-or-die clashes.

The final match of the league phase is also set to be a blockbuster clash between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Mumbai City, with the latter needing a point to clinch the League Shield while the former would win it if it can pull off a victory.

Sportstar looks at five key talking points from the league so far:

Coyle’s heroics turn the ride for Chennaiyin FC

Owen Coyle, who helped Jamshedpur FC win its first and only ISL League Winners Shield, returned to Chennaiyin after three years and has worked wonders to take it into the knockouts for the first time since 2020.

On its path to the playoffs, the club has scripted a bit of personal history of its own. With a 2-1 win against JFC, it secured a win after being 0-1 at home for the very first time, with the previous 26 such matches ending in eight draws and 18 losses.

Against NorthEast United in its final home game, it did it again, winning through a stoppage-time winner from Ankit Mukherjee.

Manvir ‘Architect’ Singh on song for Mohun Bagan Super Giant

Indian international Manvir Singh may have started his ISL journey with FC Goa but it is in the City of Joy where he has flourished the most.

ALSO READ: League Winners Shield on the line as Mumbai City FC takes on Mohun Bagan Super Giant in final league game

Having joined Mohun Bagan Super Giant four years ago, the forward was used tactfully by Juan Ferrando and then Antonio Lopez Habas this season as he became a perennial source of crosses for attacks along the flanks.

Against Bengaluru FC, he scored his third goal of the season, which was also his 10th goal contribution – his personal best in an ISL season. He is also the assist leader among Indians in the league so far, with seven assists.

Tangri struggles with discipline

Though Mohun Bagan midfielder Deepak Tangri had impressed for India on his senior team debut, at the AFC Asian Cup against Australia, he made it to the record book for a not-so-memorable reason recently.

Against Punjab FC, Tangri got his ninth yellow card of the season, the joint highest in the league’s history, with former Chennaiyin FC midfielder Dhanpal Ganesh (in 2017-18).

Times are changing for Odisha FC

Odisha FC has had a remarkable transformation under Spanish head coach Sergio Lobera, who guided Mumbai City to the ISL title as well as the Shield in his first stint in India. Taking charge of the Juggernauts, he has taken them to the playoffs and the final of the Kalinga Super Cup.

Signing Roy Krishna, one of the highest-ever goalscorers in ISL, the team built a formidable attack around him and striker Diego Mauricio working in tandem.

OFC has logged a shot conversion rate of 14.4% in the league, the highest of any team and the Juggernauts’ highest such aggregate in a single season; currently, it is also the fifth-highest such rate for any team in an ISL season.

Krishna (12 goals) is one goal away from becoming the club’s highest-ever goal scorer in a single ISL season (Mauricio – 12 goals in 2022-23 & 2020-21).

Sunil Chhetri and ‘leaderless’ Bengaluru out of playoffs

Bengaluru FC, a three-time ISL finalist and champion in 2019, had a season to forget this time around.

After letting coach Simon Grayson go, under whom the Blues had won the Durand Cup and reached the ISL finals last year, it appointed Gerard Zaragoza as its gaffer, who was the assistant coach in their title-winning season.

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But the club failed to make the cut for the playoffs, finishing third from bottom. “We need leaders inside the pitch, it’s something we will arrange,” he said – something that sounded weird for a team having Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the Indian national team.

Though Chhetri had a better season than 2022-23, with five goals and three assists, the Blues failed to replicate their previous season.