Why Mohun Bagan SG shouldn't have released Carl McHugh - A deep dive

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Indian Super League(ISL) clubFC Goa's signing of defensive midfielderCarl McHugh from Mohun Bagan SG ahead of the 10th season came as a shock for both Goa and Mohun Bagan fans. The new Indian Super League 2023-2024 season is likely to start in the last week of September, and all 12 clubs participating in the competition are strengthening their sides with the transfer window still open until August 31st.

FC Goa have done a great job so far in the transfer window, getting the services of Indian international players like Sandesh Jhingan, Udanta Singh, Rowllin Borges, and Raynier Fernandes, while also bringing in foreign players like Odei Onaindia and coach Manolo Marquez for Hyderabad FC.

Other than that, the club has signed Spanish striker Carlos Martínez, midfielder Victor Rodríguez and Australian midfielder Paulo Retre. The club also recently announced the signing of Carl McHugh from Mohun Bagan SG.

McHugh has been a great presence in the Mohun Bagan midfield, with his versatility being one of the key aspects of his game. For FC Goa, this is a brilliant signing, while Mohun Bagan may have made a mistake with this deal.

McHugh joined ATK from Scottish club Motherwell FC in 2019 and was later acquired by ATK Mohun Bagan (now Mohun Bagan SG). He made 60 appearances for the club and scored three goals.

Players with most successful tackles in Indian Super League 2022-23

10. Jeakson Singh | Games: 20 - Successful Tackles: 30

Kerala Blasters

1/10

9. Glan Martins | Games: 17 - Successful Tackles: 30

ATK Mohun Bagan

2/10

8. Carl McHugh | Games: 19 - Successful Tackles: 32

ATK Mohun Bagan

3/10

7. Akash Mishra | Games: 19 - Successful Tackles: 32

Hyderabad FC

4/10

6. Asish Rai | Games: 24 - Successful Tackles: 33

ATK Mohun Bagan

5/10

5. Ivan Kaliuzhnyi | Games: 18 - Successful Tackles: 34

Kerala Blasters

6/10

4. Naorem Roshan Singh | Games: 24 - Successful Tackles: 35

Bengaluru FC

7/10

3. Julius Duker | Games: 20 - Successful Tackles: 37

Chennaiyn FC

8/10

2. Subhasish Bose | Games:23 - Successful Tackles: 39

ATK Mohun Bagan

9/10

1. Ahmed Jahouh | Games: 21 - Successful Tackles: 49

Mumbai City FC

10/10

Why McHugh might be a huge miss for Mohun Bagan?

Carl McHugh was nicknamed a silent warrior by the club fans because every match he did his defensive midfielder's job, which is to shield the defence line, very well. However, he never got enough credit for his performance because of the other star players around him.

While his goals in official matches stand at just 3 for the club, his job was never to score goals. He was assigned to shield the defence line and not allow the opposition team to score, which he did very well. With 12 clean sheets last season for ATK Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super League, that just proves that.

Carl McHugh is not the best player in terms of creativity, passing, or ball-playing ability; he is rather a player who likes to dominate the whole of midfield and the defensive area. He likes to get into crunching tackles and dispossess the opposition player of the ball, then pass the ball to more attacking players.

In short, Carl McHugh, despite never getting enough credit, was one of the best players for Mohun Bagan SG, and he was a player that Mohun Bagan coach Juan Ferrando and previously Antonio Lopez Habas could turn to at any moment and he would deliver.

Who is replacing Carl McHugh at Mohun Bagan SG?

Mohun Bagan has signed Hector Yuste as his replacement, who is more of a ball-playing player, has good passing, and can play in the defensive midfield and centre-back positions. In his debut match for the club in the AFC Cup playoff match against Abahani Dhaka, he was one of the best players for the club despite just arriving the day before the match and having only one practice session with the club.