HT Kick Off: Anirudh Thapa’s challenge at Mohun Bagan

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Friday, 08 Sep 2023

By Dhiman Sarkar

Anirudh Thapa’s challenge at Mohun Bagan

It has not been an easy initiation into Mohun Bagan Super Giant for Anirudh Thapa. By itself, that’s not unusual in an industry where switching employers often means a change in culture, climate and language. It’s been all of that for Thapa. So, players need time to bed-in some longer than others. Of course, there are exceptions such as Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Anwar Ali who have hit it off, from the off.

Thapa, 25, played in the Durand Cup and the AFC Cup qualifiers. Mohun Bagan won the Durand Cup and have entered the main round of the AFC Cup. But usually so influential for club and country, this season the midfielder, when not anonymous, will be remembered for one error and a red card, both in Kolkata derbies. That’s some cross to bear, even for someone who has been a club captain, an international for nearly five years and living away from home since he was 10.

It would have been worse had Mohun Bagan lost the final. Given how they overcame a two-goal deficit in the semi-final and had beaten Mohun Bagan earlier, you wouldn’t put that past East Bengal especially when they had a player more after Thapa’s red card. If they couldn’t, it was because Glan Martins and Brendan Hamill prevented Mohun Bagan from being carved open in the middle and Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh stayed back to make it seven players protecting Vishal Kaith’s goal. Mohun Bagan could do that because with a player less, they had scored. In a match that will be remembered more for tantrums than talent – not unusual given the tension and that a final is meant to be won and not played – Dimitri Petratos’ goal proved to be enough.

Playing out of position

It was the smarts of Javier Siverio drawing fouls that led to both bookings on Thapa leading to the first red card of his career. In the earlier Durand Cup derby, it was the savvy and speed of Nandhakumar Sekar that Thapa couldn’t deal with. Both happened because he was playing in a position he isn’t comfortable in.

That could be a problem. Thapa is a midfielder who has all the attacking tools of trade. He loves helping in the build-up, can shoot from range, pop up the box and finish a move and find mates with raking passes (think of the ball for Pritam Kotal in the SAFF Cup final or one for Ashish Rai in the Durand Cup final). Ghosting between lines to help in the build-up is also what he is good at. He can be terrier-like without the ball and is one of the fittest players in India, which makes him an asset in a country not known for producing quality players with assembly-line regularity, but that is not his primary role. Playing a No. 8 is.

Yet at Mohun Bagan, he has been playing more like a No.6, too close to his own goal. In a team where the wingbacks or full backs usually stay high on the pitch, it also means a lot of defensive responsibilities without the ball.

It was because Subhasish Bose had not fallen back that Thapa lacked support after his mistimed interception gave Nandhakumar the space to run. Playing with Sahal Abdul Samad in central midfield means Thapa needs to be the defensive mainstay and not be the player with the license to surge forward like when he is paired with Jeakson Singh or Suresh Wangjam for India. Thapa played his 50th international on Thursday as India, leading twice, went down to Iraq on penalties by the width of a post.

But given Mohun Bagan’s array of attacking talent and coach Juan Ferrando’s tendency to play them, Thapa will have to play behind Hugo Boumous. And if Sahal has to be accommodated in the 11, it will be at the expense of Thapa’s natural game.

Under scrutiny

From his time at the AIFF Elite Academy, Thapa has showed promise. Through Minerva Punjab, where as a teenager on loan he had caught the eye against Mohun Bagan in the 2016-17 I-League, and Chennaiyin FC where he graduated from getting some minutes to winning ISL, playing another final and getting the armband, Thapa’s graph has risen. Enough for Mohun Bagan to give him a five-year deal reportedly worth Rs 15 crore.

It has also meant that for the first time in his career, Thapa is under a lot of scrutiny. He knew it wouldn’t be easy. In an interview to HT during the SAFF Championship, he had pointed out that Mohun Bagan could get another player and relegate him to the bench. Keeping my place would be a challenge, he said. Like it has been for Colaco.

Player recruitment is not an exact science, look no farther than Jadon Sancho. If Mohun Bagan’s soft centre is exposed, they might sell a foreign player and get a defensive midfielder, someone like Carl McHugh whom they off-loaded this term. They can also play get either of Hamill, Martins or Deepk Tangri to start in midfield. Thapa knows it could be at his expense. In the year of the Asian Cup that is something India don’t need.

PLAY OF THE WEEK

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HT Kick Off: Anirudh Thapa’s challenge at Mohun Bagan

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