Tamojit Chakraborty

Mohammed Rafique’s 94th minute header ensure Atletico De Kolkata be crowned the first champions of the Inaugral season of the Hero Indian Super League. The Sourav Ganguly co owned side beat Kerela Blasters by 1-0 in front a packed DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. The Champions picked up Rs. 8 crores with the runners-up, Kerala Blasters picking up Rs. 4 crores. Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa, the two semi-finalists were handed a prize of Rs. one and a half crores each.

Full list of award winners at 2014:

• Champions – Atletico de Kolkata (Rs 8 crores prize money)
• Runners-up – Kerala Blasters (Rs 4 crores)
• Semi Finalists- FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC (Rs 1.5 crores each)
• Hero of the final – Mohammed Rafique (Atletico de Kolkata)
•  Happy Fans Award- Kerala Blasters
•  Fair play Award- Delhi Dynamos
• Most exciting player of the league – Luis Garcia (Atletico de Kolkata)
•  Fittest player of the league – Jan Stohanzl (Mumbai City FC)
•  Goal of the league – Kostas Katsouranis (FC Pune City vs Atletico De Kolkata, Salt Lake Stadium)
•  Golden Glove – Jan Seda (FC Goa)
• Golden Boot – Elano Blumer (Chennaiyin FC) – 8 goals
•  Emerging player of the league – Sandesh Jhingan (Kerala Blasters)
• Hero of the league – Iain Hume (Kerala Blasters)

The Premier League has presented one of the toughest challenges in the footballing world, in recent years. The onus has mostly been on the Premier League’s defenders to possess good all round qualities, not only to provide valuable cover at the back, but also provide attacking options in the opposition penalty box during set-pieces. With quarter of the season complete, a bevy of confident displays have allowed certain clubs have the edge over others, with a number of clean sheets already acquired.

The top three defenders of the premier league so far, as we understand…

3) Leighton Baines: Credited to be one of the most humble players in the premier league, the Englishman has been on a hot run of form this season, notching up 3 goals and an astonishing 6 assists in all competitions. Statistics that may put many attackers to shame! Everton did suffer a minor hiccup at the start of season with key defensive players absent with injuries, leading them to concede easy goals. But they seem to have got their act right now, having not lost in their last 9 matches in all competitions and keeping 5 clean sheets in the process. Essentially deployed as a left wing back by Everton coach Roberto Martinez, the 29 year old has been England’s first choice ever since Ashley Cole’s slump of form. Possessing great stamina and crossing skills, Baines has been a force to reckon with on the left flank, constantly making overlapping runs to stretch the opposition defense. With Everton’s set piece responsibilities lying essentially on their captain, Baines has been a mainstay for his club this season.

2) Branislav Ivanovic: With coach Jose Mourinho’s unique tactics at play, football enthusiasts are always waiting for what’s new from the Portuguese manager’s hat. This season it seems to have come in the form of Branislav Ivanovic’s positioning during Chelsea games! With Chelsea enforcing a much more direct style of play this season, the big Serbian has been deployed as a right wing back with Cesar Azpilicueta shifting to left back. And he seems to have got the license to kill! Having taken up very advanced positions in the opposition defense, there has been times, when Ivanovic has even been ahead of the Chelsea striker, well inside the opposition penalty box! Clearly Mourinho wants to tap the Serbian’s attacking qualities and add a new dimension to the Chelsea game. The defender’s strength and aerial qualities has been coupled with great shot power and accuracy, something the manager want to utilize comprehensively. Stat wise, the former man from Locomotive Moscow has got 2 goals and an assist to his name, with his side notching up 6 clean sheets so far. Yet the fact, that Chelsea has been unbeaten this season, speaks volumes of the solidarity at the back, with Ivanovic being a vital part to it.

1) Nathaniel Clyne: And it’s the season’s fairy tale again! After suffering an exodus that might as well have destroyed any other team, Southampton FC now lie 2^nd place in the Premier League. Such has been the impact that new coach Ronald Koeman has had on the players. With a flurry of shrewd signings, the Dutch manager has managed to build up a defense which has an astonishing 7 clean sheets to their name! That too in just 12 games! Englishman Nathaniel Clyne has been the mainstay of the Southampton defense, having started every game of the season so far, putting in 2 goals and an assist to his tally. His defensive qualities too have been astounding, bearing in mind that he has been assigned the role of an attacking wing back by the gaffer. The 23 year olds solid displays have put him in contention for a place in the England national team, with Roy Hodgson clearly impressed by the player’s intent not only to attack but also track back and support the defense. With the departure of Callum Chambers, the Southampton coach may have been anxious with the lack of cover on the right flank, but Clyne has surely proved his worth until now. Surely a drastic change of fortunes for a Manchester United Reject!

It’s important for every team that the whole of the defense does its part with astute coordination in a football game. Yet a very important part of this puzzle is a team’s custodian between the sticks, an essential make of break player as suggested by many. Defensive frailties have been overcome by coaches throughout Europe, by roping in top quality keepers. And with the modern game getting more competitive every passing day, the need of a top notch goalkeeper is paramount. Sport wiki looks in the new Barclays Premier League season, and its star goal keepers so far…

3) Thibaut Courtois: When Chelsea spent 5 million Euros for the young kid from Belgium side Genk in 2011, the lanky U18 goalkeeper was already a teen prodigy waiting to burst into the world scene. A move to the London club didn’t last long though, with Courtois being loaned out to Athletico Madrid for the next few seasons. And 3 seasons later, at 22, Thibaut Courtois is ranked amongst the top 5 goalkeepers in the world and definitely amongst the best young keepers at this time. At 6 foot 6 inches, the Belgian is a storehouse of amazing reflexes and displays outstanding composure given his age. Coach Jose Mourinho too, has been quick to hand him the starting place ahead of Peter Cech this season, and the Belgium has not failed him till now. With 4 clean sheets already to show in his brief Premier league life, the Belgian has been a towering presence for the Chelsea defense with blinding fast reflex saves and great distribution on show. The only thing that he needs to work upon is his communication with the back line, where he evidently looks lacking.

2) Fraser Forster: Power rankings are incomplete without new players and their shining stars, it seems! The keeper from Scottish side, Celtic was brought into the ailing Southampton side by new coach Ronald Koeman in the recent transfer window, to shore up his defensive problems. And the results are there to show! With an amazing 7 clean sheets in 12 games, nothing seems to have gone through the sturdy Englishman so far. His composure and one on one saves have proved to be crucial for the saints, averaging 4 saves per game, thereby helping them to 2^nd spot in the Premier League. Very few will remember though, that the big Englishman was actually a part of the Newcastle United side till 2012, while being loaned out every season during his stay before managing a permanent move to the Scottish League. Three very productive seasons, both domestically and in the Champions League helped him to catch the eye of many big clubs in Europe. And re-signed back to the premier league at a modest 10 million Euros with such hot form, surely Newcastle will be left licking their wounds.

1) David De Gea: In 2011, the former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson splashed the cash on a young 21 year old Spanish goalkeeper, David De Gea from Athletico Madrid, with a reported 20 million Euro transfer fee, clearly in acknowledgement to the vast yet raw talent that he brought with him. However, the highly regarded young goalkeeper failed to reach the heights of his predecessor, the iconic Edwin Van Der Saar, much to the disappointment of the United faithful. But fast forward to this season, De Gea seems to have turned the corner. Having shown drastic improvements this season in both his decision making skills as well as his physical attributes, the Spanish goalkeeper has been the only player in the troubled United side to have started all the games so far. And despite not having too many clean sheets to his name, the 24 year old shot stopper has had an average 8 saves per game, mostly vital and acrobatic ones. Surely he has kept the score boards from tilting further against the Reds this season, thereby pushing him up to top spot in our rankings. And in his present form, new manager Loius Van Gaal can ill afford to lose this player to the host of European Goliaths hovering to secure the services of the Spanish goalkeeper.