The Hero Indian Super League (ISL) has seen almost every team performing to its potential, and subsequently being rewarded with results. One team, however, has not quite extracted the optimum level of football it has to offer, and as a result has never really hit the ground running in the league. Three seasons into the ISL and FC Pune City have had always ended up in the bottom half of the table. And this is despite the eye-catching talent and established players plying their trade for them.A ‘Maha’ Stumble Into Season 1The Stallions did not have the brightest of initiations either. Immediately after playing out a goalless draw against Delhi Dynamos FC in their opening fixture of the inaugural season, they faced local rivals Mumbai City FC in the ‘Maha derby’. The latter proved to be very hostile hosts as they outplayed their opponents 5-0.Greek And Italian Star PowerIn 2014, Pune had roped in Greece’s Euro 2004-winning midfielder Kostas Katsouranis and French legend/FIFA 1998 World Cup winner David Trezeguet. Under Italian manager Franco Colomba, the two combined to score six goals, which was half the number of goals the team scored that season.Fewer Highs, More LowsResults came in patches for the Stallions. They did not have any good run of form, although they would pop up with some notable performances at times. They were one of only three teams to inflict defeat on eventual champions ATK, and their 3-1 victory also meant they were the only team to which ATK lost by more than a one-goal margin. Pune also trumped Mumbai 2-0 in that season’s second derby. However, the team lost their last two fixtures and although they fared better in the table than the Mumbaikars, a sixth-place finish was the best they could attain.Season 2 Starts With A Bang…The following season saw FC Pune City starting off with two wins out of two. The best part though was the fact that they got the better of Mumbai in a 3-1 victory in their opening fixture. After the first six matches, Pune’s record stood at four wins and two narrow losses. They were serious title contenders and their new coach, legendary Englishman David Platt, seemed to have got the formula right.Ending With A WhimperBut that was as good as it got for the team, as what followed was a drastic change in fortunes. They did not record a single victory in the entire league after that and lost all their final four fixtures to finish a lowly seventh in the league. As a result, for the final eight fixtures, Pune managed just three points coming from three draws.Too Many Cooks?Pune made some notable signings that season. Former Romanian hitman Adrian Mutu was joined on the attacking front by the powerful Nigerian Kalu Uche. These two in turn combined with former Middlesbrough and Stoke City striker Tuncay Sanli. While they netted 11 times among themselves, it was also Eugeneson Lyngdoh’s first ISL, and he made a mark by maintaining a balance between scoring goals and feeding balls. While they were sorted on the scoring front, they were starved for results. In the end, Pune ended up performing worse than their previous season.Title-Winning Head Coach For New Season, Yet…The third season saw the Stallions appoint Antonio Lopez Habas, ISL 2014’s title-winning coach with ATK, at the helm. However, with half their fixtures done, they had picked up just a sole win. Not to mention that their opener had been another Maha Derby in which they were on the wrong side of a 1-0 scoreline at home. Only three victories followed, and once more Pune languished at the sixth spot after the league phase was done with.Pune’s Go-To MenFor the third season, Pune relied mainly on Anibal Rodriguez to score and the Mexican got on the score sheet five times in all. Mohammed Sissoko turned out to be an important contributor in midfield, carrying forward attacks and holding opposition attackers at bay while Brazilian centre-back Eduardo Ferreira solidified their defence. Their main contributor from the middle though was Jonatan Lucca, who bagged five assists. But, in the end it was not nearly enough for a top-four finish.The Delhi RaidPune seem determined to make an impact this time around, and they have been busy assembling a mean army during the off-season. Former Delhi Dynamos trio of ISL 2016 Golden Boot winner Marcelinho, winger Kean Lewis and Spanish midfielder Marcos Tebar have decided to don the orange jersey for the 2017-18 season. Joining them will be NorthEast United FC’s top scorer from last year, Emiliano Alfaro. Former ATK players Baljit Sahni and Jewel Raja will add more depth to the middle of the park. 29-year-old Brazilian winger Diego Carlos, Argentine midfielder Robertino Pugliara, Croatian centre-back Damir Grgic and Spanish defender Rafael Lopez are the other overseas players drafted into the squad. The team recently parted ways with Habas, and brought in former Yugoslavian centre-back Ranko Popovic to take over the reins as head coach.So, What Next?While FC Pune City have struggled to keep up with the reputation brought by their players, the fourth season looks positive. Their tenacity over a longer period will be tested this time, but they now possess players who have shown consistency in the ISL. Added to that, the likes of Marcelino and Alfaro have a mean reputation as strikers. The road ahead looks promising for the Stallions, but then they would want to make sure that it doesn’t again turn out to be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth.FC Pune City will host Delhi Dynamos FC for their first match of the 2017-18 ISL to be held at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium in Pune on November 22nd. Click here for the complete schedule.