Jamshedpur FC went from being Hero Indian Super League’s (ISL) nearly men to League Winners last season as Owen Coyle led the Red Miners to the League Winners’ Shield last season.

Jamshedpur FC finished top and did that in style with a record points tally in Hero ISL history. Although they were beaten by Kerala Blasters FC in the semi-finals, the Jamshedpur-based side had a remarkable season.

Now under new head coach Aidy Boothroyd, the team will hope to build on last season’s good work and not just win the League Winners’ Shield again but also win the Hero ISL trophy.

Season	Outcome
2017-18	5th Place
2018-19	5th Place
2019-20	8th Place
2020-21	6th Place
2021-22	1st Place (League Winners Shield)

But it won’t be easy for Jamshedpur FC to repeat the heroics of last season. They have lost their key player Greg Stewart, who won the Hero of the League award in 2021-22, after he joined Mumbai City FC.

The Red Miners have strengthened the team with signings like Wellington Priori, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Harry Sawyer.

Team composition and transfer dealings

The spine of the team is very experienced and they are surrounded by a number of young players who will be hoping to make a mark again this term. 12 players in the squad are below the age of 25 while seven players have crossed the age of 30.

The Red Miners have a settled defence and goalkeeper which will be a great base for Boothroyd to build onto. Upfront Daniel Chima Chukwu is a proven performer with the team. The rest of the players have to make up for the loss of Stewart’s goal contribution which is very much within their reach.

Transfers:

INs: Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Wellington Priori, Rakshit Dagar, Pratik Chaudhari, Germanpreet Singh, Harry Sawyer, Muhammed Uvais, SK Sahil.

OUTs: Jordan Murray, Alex Lima, Greg Stewart, Narender Gahlot, Mobhashir Rahman, Pawan Kumar, Niraj Kumar, Anas Edathodika, Gorachandi Marndi.

To see the full squad of Jamshedpur FC, click here 

Just 🔟 sleeps away from being back together at the Furnace for some #HeroISL action! ⚽👊

Go buy your tickets if you haven't already! 😍🎟

Book your match tickets now: https:/t.co/he4CRu2clT#JamKeKhelo pic.twitter.com/W2ifXnhlfN

— Jamshedpur FC (@JamshedpurFC) October 1, 2022

Expert’s Take

Erik Paartalu on Jamshedpur FC squad: Jamshedpur have managed to keep the bulk of their squad together which is vital considering their success last season.

Losing a player like Greg Stewart is a worry but they now look to Wellington Priori who has played in India twice before, so he knows the league and he knows the club.

Narender Gahlot has moved on and he was great at stepping in when Owen Coyle decided to front-load the foreigners and they look to Pratik Chaudhari to fill that void and to play when Aidy Boothroyd decides to do the same.

I feel that Jamshedpur have gone for a manager with very similar characteristics and way of playing and Jamshedpur fans will be very excited knowing a lot won’t be changing.

There will be a great battle for positions all over the pitch which keeps the squad hungry and healthy. The back 4 and the TP Rehenesh won’t change a lot so we can expect them to be very hard to beat especially at home, the hardest place to travel to and play in the league.

Erik Paartalu on Jamshedpur FC’s transfer dealings:

Bringing Harry Sawyer and Jay Thomas signals their intent to play with a big man up top to get on the end of direct play and crosses which they did so well through Chukwu the last term.

What I’d like about some of the signings is that it would definitely seem as though the coach has hand-picked some of the players. It's not always the case for new coaches in new leagues.

They inherit some players that won’t necessarily fit the system or the style.

Jamshedpur FC have brought in a player like Germanpreet Singh to solidify that midfield alongside Jitendra after the departure of Alex who has moved onto East Bengal FC.

Germanpreet is one of those players who rarely gets talked about but does the business. I like the way he goes about his job. He is stern, he is industrious and he fits the Jamshedpur team and the way they play to a tee. This will allow Jitendra to possibly get further forward but also know he has great cover if he gets caught out.

Erik Paartalu’s Jamshedpur FC players to watch out for: Farukh Choudhary, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and SK Sahil

Fixtures

Jamshedpur FC begin their campaign with a home game against Odisha FC on October 11 with their final match of the league stage seeing them face the same opposition in Bhubaneswar. Their final home game will see ATK Mohun Bagan pay a visit to the Furnace.

For full fixture list of Jamshedpur FC, click here

Erik Paartalu’s verdict on Jamshedpur FC: Everyone will be aiming for the top six this season. I would be extremely disappointed if Jamshedpur FC finish sixth and just scrape into the semi-finals.

Yes, they have lost Greg Stewart and a few others but the bulk of the team is still there. They have a huge home ground advantage. Teams hate travelling there so if they can not lose at home they are for sure a top 4 side.

I expect them to be direct and play into Chukwu. Get it wide and get it into the box. It would be criminal to bring in a coach like Aidy Boothroyd and try and start playing out from the back and keep possession.

They are just not built that way dynamically and that is not a disadvantage. It won them the league last season, they shouldn’t change too much in terms of their approach.