Kolkata: Hardly had East Bengal FC’s interim coach Bino George and Spanish midfielder Saul Crespo settled into addressing the mediapersons on Friday afternoon when the press conference room at the club tent was plunged into darkness owing to a power cut.
How symbolic it might look for East Bengal a day ahead of hosting Mohun Bagan SG at the Salt Lake Stadium.
The exit from the season-opening Durand Cup at the quarterfinal stage, starting the Indian Super League with four defeats on the bounce and the departure of Carles Cuadrat as head coach — indeed everything is looking as dark as a moonless night for a troubled and tortured red-and-gold side.
They look like a team constrained by self-doubts, their game uninspiring and unable to get over the line.
The season’s first senior derby, thus, is coming with some interesting and intriguing dynamics for both teams.
East Bengal’s newly-appointed coach Oscar Bruzon is scheduled to arrive in the wee hours of Saturday and expected to sit in the dug-out.
The onus will be clearly on the hosts as Bruzon might get a first-hand account of the challenge at hand and how East Bengal — having already suffered their worst start to the ISL season and desperately searching for a change in fortunes — are responding to the crisis call. George insisted on Friday that the team’s bad patch is not a confidence thing.
“When I see the boys in the training ground, they all are eager to fight back,” East Bengal’s interim coach said.
The tide is flowing differently for Jose Molina’s Bagan, though. Two weeks ago just before the international break, they demolished newbies Mohammedan Sporting 3-0 in what is known as the mini-derby.
“It’s quite a long press conference,” Molina said with a smile, dealing with one poser after another during his 32-minute-long interaction with the newspersons. But as the challenge gets bigger, the Spaniard is planning to make his maiden brush with the ‘real’ derby memorable.
“I’m excited about this match. I want my players to enjoy this challenge as much as possible. As a coach, I also like to enjoy every bit of this,” he said.
And the sight of a fitter Jamie Maclaren and the return of Ashique Kuruniyan to action must be pleasing to behold at a time when the reigning ISL Shield winners are showing glimpses of what Molina would want them to aspire for — sleek wing-play, midfield vibrancy and balance in transition.
That Bagan have won 7 of their 8 meetings in the ISL bears more confirmation of how the gap has grown between the sides since their assimilation in the new league four seasons ago.
Bagan’s full-back Subhasish Bose is one player who has featured in all these games and he wants the record to stay unbroken.
“A match like the derby doesn’t have a favourite. Obviously, East Bengal with their back to the wall will like to stage a comeback. We’ll also be motivated to keep the record against them intact and move up the standings,” Bose pointed out.
Bagan will again take the game forward and attack, especially through their famed wing-play. East Bengal need to be more calculated in their approach.
Three months ago, George’s youngsters defeated Bagan 2-1 to keep their march towards regaining the local league’s crown. However, it will be a whole new ball game for him on Saturday.
“Are you starting as underdogs?” George was asked. “Let’s see what happens on the field,” he replied with a smile.
Former India midfielder and an East Bengal veteran Alvito D’Cunha suggested that the team should take the Bagan clash as “the first match of a tournament, forgetting what has happened in the past four matches.”
“Are you starting as underdogs?” George was asked. “Let’s see what happens on the field,” he replied with a smile.
They say that it’s always the darkest before dawn. Can East Bengal finally embrace their dawn of revival? Or will it be another Bagan domination? Brace for these questions and more on Saturday.
saturday’s other match: FC Goa vs Mumbai City FC (5pm)