One step closer to Semi: East Bengal wins

It has been really eventful week for East Bengal fans, first of all there was really disturbing news of Coach and Player not getting along well before the AFC cup match and then the first competitive match of new coach again a team which is already half way of their league, but as it is said, all good if it ends well.  East Bengal wins prove this point, but still job half done, we have to wait for the second leg to see how the things goes well.

I could not watch the match as Star sports has refused to produce this game for live telecast due to economic reason, they say because there is not much interest for this match so we could not do match, I think they should have said the same thing for producing Indian A match for cricket. Second was the low turnout for east Bengal fan, only 5000 does not reflect the stature of this club, this shows how backward Indian football has gone, the passion and support of Kolkata club is not as it was few years back. But let’s not go to negative more and put focus on positive on game.

The east Bengal 1-0 win was very important for moral of the club because this was first match of the season, if you ask me they should have easily scored more Goals, James moga missed few sitters and as team also they were top of their game, which we can understand due to their first game. Most important thing is keeping clean sheet in the Home leg, It is really important, because the side of east Bengal have they will surely score one goal in second leg. Then it will be difficult for the next team to win.

This win also highlight the depth and strength of the bench on the east Bengal side, Sueoka who is indecently not on the good book of the coach came off the bench to score the goal. The option coach has to change the team was great. They still more matched under their belt to be match fill and to be in rhythm that was evident in the performance. Okapa was again reliable in the defense and Mehtab in the midfield. But the biggest waste was Moga, he missed few chance which could have put this tie on to the bed. And I liked the idea of seeing Alvito after such a long time on the field, He is only one who played last time East Bengal had successful in the AFC cupt, Give the credit to coach also to make the changes which made the difference in the game. I hope it is start of new season and new Hope for east Bengal.

This was match for the test of mental strength of east Bengal players, and they passed this test. The bigger test still waits for them in away leg, they need to be less wasteful and the midfield has to be stronger to win the match.

P.S.: Flapo will be happy man after this movement, because he was really under pressure from Kolkata press for last few days. I hope they will not talk of at least Morgan in his next press conference. 

East Bengal fc : What they should after Travel Morgan

Personally I would love to see him stay few more season at east Bengal fc so can continue what he has started at east Bengal fc, but in case if he decided to leave like he has does so our club should be ready for the change. We should be ready for the change in the guard so we can cope with the change.

Core of team should be retained: In my opinion the core of team should be retained as they have been performing at the very top level for last 3 years. We have to keep the best of Indian young player in the team, like Mandeep singh, Ralathe, Goalkeeper, Okpare and other two foreigners. I like the idea of continuation of the current core of player who just need one or two update to current player.

New coach need time: The coach who would be appointed for the team will need time to exert his idea on time, So team should be given at least full season to see how his team can shape up. He will need the full support of club, player and also the fans so he can give the best performance for the club. 

Minimum one trophy should be targeted: New coach should target the first trophy like fedrashen cup, if he wins that it will be easy for her to impose her thought in the team very easily. As a east Bengal fan I would like them to win as many match possible but I would like to give at least a season so he can get best out of team.

Team should target I league: the only trophy which has been missing from east Bengal profile has been I league, they need to target this trophy as a priority so we can win it, if it require losing some small tournament or fielding week team in local league, than it should be done. I think we can only win l league if more first team player can be rested in the local matches. 

Try to build a coaching team: I like the idea if east Bengal fc can try to create the team of coach where a good coach is taking care of team and any young coach can be his assistance, so he can learn from him in case if he leaves also after one year then also we can have some continuation in term of coaches. 

Well I am not sure who will coach of East Bengal next year, but we have to choose them quite importantly so that we can build on the work done the Traver Morgan. Hope we can do more batter in future as we are doing today.

I am free soul now

Few years back when I was a great reader of books, I choose to become a writer myself. I started with blog and very soon realized that it’s not my cup of tea. I am not good enough writer to be considered one and that can be seen in my blog post.  But I kept on writing on blog things I love, about my college time, my take on football and other stuff and very soon I realized that fiction might not be my forte but still I can take nonfiction part. I thought about the various thing that can be written about, first thought came in my mind was football

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Football is the thing which I love to watch, write and have a opinion about it. But problem is in India you get very less information about Indian football to write about. Like for example east Bengal my favorite club have not been even covered properly by their own website so how could I. but I choose to write about them as often I can because of my affection towards them. Chelsea fc is another club I am crazy about more than east Bengal and they are the only reason why I love football and I write about football.

But things where not as good as it sounds, writing week in week out become difficult job, when you want to write about the things you don’t know. People gave their opinion about your blog, some love it and some hate it. But what make you more vulnerable about their opinion is you want attention. It happened to me also; I wanted people to read it, comment on it and talk about it. There each good comment was like priceless for me but each people who chose not to comment were becoming riddle to me.  Why they didn’t comment, they didn’t like it or I am not writing it good anymore. It was a gray period of my life as a blogger when I choose to write for other rather than myself. That corrupted me as I writer who wanted more praise rather than a good writing.

I written blog for self praise, tried to repeat things which people liked earlier and it worked for some part. But somehow things got worst with me, I was not writing thing which I love, I was writing things which someone or others loved. I lost my originality, my choice of words, my humor everything. It was more like their words, there humor and there blog. It was all because of me hunger for praise. It is really hard to resist when you start something good, and that is what work in good and bad way as well. I could have never realized it what was I missing, but one fine day I great friend just tore my blog and writing apart. She was just putting me in uncomfortable positing with each of her comment and I was completely taken back by that. Few days I didn’t talk to her but kept on thinking about it. What I am doing, Is she right what she said, or is she just one of over spoken people you often met.

It took me almost a week to get back to her and tell that she was right. She said all the things right and I completely fine with her comments and said sorry for my behavior. For the first time I realized that why I wanted to write because of my good reading but I stopped both. I stopped reading other because they were not making me happy about myself, and writing what I want to write. That day I promised myself, before writing any more things I need to first empty myself with all the thought of writing I have. I did that and felt better.

Now coming back to present blog, I just written it because sometime you journey to something become so interesting that you don’t care about your destination. But you want to just continue in journey and keep learning. At this point of time I more interested in journey those other things.  While I personally I know people who are better writer, speaker and better expresses about their feeling to others but what I have is a fighting sprit to keep working on and coming back with better and more better work.

I am really trying to start from zero and thing time it is all about me. Writing is all about what you want to tell others rather that what other want to read. Because people will read only good thing once you give to them rather then they demand for it.

P.S.: It is almost 1 AM in the night and I really love this new me as write. :)

The unbeaten run of East Bengal..

I am writing this thing and hoping I am not going to curse it. 

Last year East Bengal didn’t win I-league. They missed by a very thin margin in the end of the league, which prompt lot of speculation about the team coach and also the famous drama of striker. Well in the end the sense prevailed in the east Bengal management they let striker go and kept the coach. Traver Morgan, well yes that’s the name which have changed the way east Bengal have been doing there business in last few years. Here the management needs applaud, they have kept the belief in the team even they have missed the title in last few years. 

East Bengal has been unbeaten in last 31 matches. Believe it or not they still not lost the match this season and they have already played Dempo. It is not easy to maintain that kind of consistency in the Indian football circuit, where there is not fixed fixture schedule and every Kolkata club have to play in Kolkata league as well. When I looked at this team, it has been all together a very different from all the team which has been builds over the time in Kolkata. There are no star player, only star player there stiker is now in opposite direction of team.

This season, east Bengal has done simple things. They have replaced a prolific striker with two three good player. The best thing about this team right now is they are not dependent on any one. Last few seasons they have been dependent on mehtaab but now even without him team is winning. They are winning and in a ruthless manner. There defence is holding in a better way than any other team even after losing Nirmal chhetri. They have become a unit which is well behaved; they know how to perform their task.

The only concern I have about this team is, how they will play once they will be involved in AFC cup as well. They have done badly in last few AFC cup, but the thing is they have been regular over there and most of team is the same. I have feeling this year they will do better in AFC cup because of the squad dept they have. I know it is too early to predict, but I have a feeling this might be year of East Bengal to clean sweep the board of trophy.

P.S.: Only team I fear is Mohan Bagan as they will play with heart in the darby. J

East Bengal football club in Financial Crisis

Among all of Indian football club, I have been following east Bengal from my school days. It hurt me when I heard news claiming that East Bengal might not take part in AFC cup due to financial crisis they are facing. They are still in talk with UB group whose owner is Mr. Vijay Malia to get them bail out, ironically who himself need bail out for his airlines.

What is wrong with Kolkata football in general, why they are not able to cope up with new system of football, an organized way to go?

Recently I praised East Bengal for maintaining much of their core squad for almost three year with coach also. In Kolkata any coach who survive more than three year, you know he is doing something good. So from where this financial crisis came from. Let go to various point which is haunting East Bengal right now.

UB Half ownership: I have never fan of UB group half ownership of East Bengal and Half of Mohan Bagan. They are financing both of the best club in India in term of history and in term of Fan base. There are virtually holding both clubs in term of finance and also in term of growth. I know it is little bit immature to say but I think East Bengal should find a suitable buyer which can back them and buy their share from UB group. Let them have Mohan Bagan and enjoy, but at least we will find some new partner as well.

Branding: This is the team which is remotely overlooked by India football team. If you see the stats of facebook then you will find out east Bengal has more fans than Newcastle United and few other. I have not find any of update from east Bengal to get there player engaged in media activity, promotion activity and also there is no update form them until match is ended. For east Bengal they should get there branding bang on right so they can attract more sponsor in club.

Club functioning: This is one thing which I will never understand about Kolkata club. How they work, what are their motivation behind any decision about the club. I think they need to be little bit more transparent in the way they work to get club in right place.

East Bengal has a potential of being one of the giant of the asia but if these kind of functioning are run in Kolkata football club, then there would be a day when east Bengal might see a day like Mohammadan sporting. 

P.S.: Let’s hope that East Bengal participate in AFC cup and might get bail out this time.

Sunil Chhetri joins Sporting Lisbon

In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Indian national team captain Sunil Chhetri is now set to don the famous Green and White colours of of the B team of the Portuguese club next season, which plays in the Liga de Honra,which is Portuguese second division.

Chhetri said, "It is a real pleasure for me and an exciting moment in my career to join a European giant like Sporting Lisbon. I have dreamt of this day and always believed that my time will come. It is now a reality. Sporting Lisbon, my agent Yogesh Joshee from Matchworld and Football One has made it possible for me and I will make it count for India. Thank you so much."

club's website, with a press release stating, "We have reached out to Indian football, aiming at its development in a market estimated by FIFA, to be of more than 20 million players, and in this context, Sunil Chhetri, captain of the Indian Football Association, an idol in that country, who symbolizes the dreams of all young players who aspire to play in Europe, will join the roster of the team "B". With our experience in detecting and developing top players, we are ready, together with local partners, to find the best solutions to accelerate the development of football in India and find values that young people are likely to integrate in other stages of formation. A demonstration of the quality of our services reflects on our business value in one of the world’s most emerging markets."

The striker, who had quite a disappointing season with Mohun Bagan last time around but was in stellar form for the nation in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, got the opportunity thanks to Football One, the football arm of new Wizcraft International Entertainment venture Sports One, who helped facilitate the transfer, giving the striker the opportunity to play in the Portuguese SuperLiga.

This is the club which has produde two of the best football players of recent time. Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani. Sporting Clube de Portugal, who are one of the traditional powerhouses of the game in Portugal alongside Benfica and Porto, have also partnered with Football One with the objective to help develop the game in India and groom the talent of young starlets coming through the ranks in India.

P.S.: I don't know if it will help him or not or this is another marketing thing.  He plays in second division which is where he can get more playing time rather than only making up in squad like his last stint in MLS. Lets hope he can do better this time not for himself but for Indain football. 

East Bengal: The End of Morgan Era

Trevor Morgan will be missed in Kolkata. The Englishman took over East Bengal's helm after the dismal 2009-10 I-League season where the Red and Gold's finished 9th out of 14 participating teams. For a team of East Bengal's vibrant history and rich footballing culture, a 9th place finish in the national league was pathetic. Trevor Morgan's admirable management style has transformed them into the top team in Kolkata and a formidable I-League force. In his first season, he won the Federation Cup, the Kolkata League and also finished runner-up of the I-League. This season alone, the manager has steered the Kolkatan club to another runner-up finish in the I-League and Federation Cup and also won the IFA Shield, Super Cup and Kolkata League.

One man instrumental to this success was the Australian - Turkish footballer Tolgay Özbey. The striker has easily been their best player for the last two seasons scoring 17 goals in the 2011-12 campaign and 18 in this season. Now that he has decided to do 'a Carlos Tevez' and move to arch-rival city neighbours Mohun Bagan, we can expect some fireworks in the Green and Maroon side of Kolkata.

It is still not clear where he will coach in next season. He might make a dramatic comeback to east Bengal but few things are sure about the next season in East Bengal. The thing they did right with Morgan was they bought the right manager in charge. Who can deal with the ego, who can convert all the wana be footballers to start them playing football. See the rise the mehtab in that cental role. He was almost forgotten men in the Bengal football but Morgan made sure he reaches his potentials.

I think the most important player for east Bengal was never Tolgay, It was always mehtab and he will be. He just needs good support from his team.

The main thing now is not who will replace the Tolgay, believe me he can be replaced with some other good striker. But who will replace the Morgan, which will be the key to east Bengal success in the future. They should replace him either by Karim Bencherafa or some other manager form Outside India. Karim has a proven record in India and he has always developed team from these positions. Look at his work in Churchill or even in Goa right now. He may be best suited candidate for the East Bengal right now.

Also they have to keep their Indian player all in places like of sanju, robin singh, nirmal and other young players.

 
This is great chance of East Bengal to show the Other Bengal side that success is not build on money but it is on the solid foundation building. In the end the winner will always be remembered not the star studded loser sides.