Mohun Bagan name Steve Darby as coach, announce 2011/12 squad

Asia's oldest football club Mohun Bagan AC today officially unveiled their new coach Englishman Steve Darby at their club tent on the Kolkata Maidan and also releasied with it their squad list for the 2011/12 season.

As such the club has retained most of their key players though releasing players like Deepak Kumar Mondal, Jayanta Sen and Subair Muritala Ali; who where a key part of their team last season.

The club has once more focused on their attack and have signed the best foreign striker Odafe Onyeka Okolie from Churchill Brothers SC and India's best forward in Sunil Chhetri from Kolkata rivals in United SC. They have also focused on their midfield by signing players like Syed Rahim Nabi, N.P. Pradeep and Bungo Singh besides getting back Jewel Raja from the Indian Arrows to strengthen their midfielder, adding some creativity to it as well.

But their defence in contrast doesn't look too strong with only an ageing Anupam Sarkar and youngster Sourav Chakraborty both joining from Kolkata rivals.

The club has Australian defender Simon Storey and Brazilian midfielder Hudson Lima da Silva on trial to see if they can fill in the third and fourth foreigners slot. The hope of the club officials will be that especially Storey can add some stability at the back, which will be much needed if the club is set to challenge for titles.


Mohun Bagan AC
Goalkeepers
Shilton Pal, Sangram Mukherjee, Souvik Mondal (Techno Aryan Club), Sudipta Banerjee

Defenders
Irungbam Surkumar Singh, Kingshuk Debnath, Anwar, Rakesh Masih, Anupam Sarkar (United SC), Sourav Chakraborty (Techno Aryan Club), R. Dhanarajan, Nalappan Mohanraj

Midfielders
Gouranga Datta, Satish Kumar Jr., Sakatar Singh (JCT), Syed Rahim Nabi (East Bengal Club), Naduparambil Pappachan Pradeep (Viva Kerala), J. Muralidharan (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC), Bungo Thokchom Singh (Mumbai FC), Sheikh Jewel Raja (Indian Arrows), Manish Mathani, Snehashis Chakroborty, Souvik Chakraborty, Dipendu Dowary

Forwards
Jose Ramirez Barreto (Captain), Odafe Onyeka Okolie (Churchill Brothers SC), Sunil Chhetri (United SC), Ashim Biswas, Jagtar Singh (Indian Arrows)

Official
Steve Darby (Chief Coach), Bernard Operanozie (Assistant Coach), Hemanta Dora (Goalkeeper Coach), Jonathan Corner (Physio, Rehab Specialist)


Players Released
Chidi Edeh, Ishfaq Ahmed, Biswajit Saha (all Salgaocar SC), Karan Atwal (United Sikkim FC), Pralay Datta, Amar Deb, Rahul Kumar, Sheikh Azim, Deepak Kumar Mondal, Sagram Mandi, Nagimuddin Mollick, Parminder Singh, Suman Datta, Jayanta Sen, Santosh Oraon, Surabuddin Mollick, David Lalbiakzara, Jacken Sebastian, Subair Muritala Ali, Owky Diamondstar