Haiti international Wedson Anselme fails to impress on first day training
Kolkata: East Bengal coach Trevor James Morgan has announced it will be a tough season in I League with all the 10 teams competing posing a threat to each other. Morgan started his practice session with East Bengal footballers at the club ground on Monday. He arrived in Kolkata a couple of days back from Perth.
“It will not be easy as all the 10 teams will be ready. Some of our opponents are known while some are unknown. It’s going to be a tough season. Just important for us that we get a group of players who realise the importance of winning the I League. It’s something that subconsciously you dream about doing it and I am no different. My aim is make East Bengal the most successful club in India. But as I said it will be a long season ahead of us with 18 games to be played.”
He further added that his team will fight it hard to win the trophy that has been missing in the trophy cabinet of the club.
“It’s not been there for a long time, is it? I think we all realise that this is a good opportunity for the club to do that. During my first stint with East Bengal, we did everything to try and win it. But as you could see the fans today morning at the ground, the only thing they want is to win the I League. Hopefully we will try and achieve it,” said the gaffer.
Morgan has decided to give the players participating in ISL a break for 10 days. He has asked all the players to join the practice recharged from December 28.
“A lot of our players have been playing in ISL and they need a break as they have been playing since June. So, they will have 10 days off and everybody will be back by December 28 and that will give a good one week preparation leading up to the first game.”
Club’s new foreign recruit Wedson Anselme from Haiti has failed to impress on the first day training. He looked to have got the touch and has a good off the ball movement. But seems to be suffering from acclimatizing to the conditions. According to Morgan, “I never go by first impressions. Some people can turn up on the first day and be great and crack for the rest of the season. We will just wait and see. It is a different environment for Wedson. We have to see what his best position is and make sure he has the right players around him”
Talking about the foreigners, Morgan is yet to get the full quota of four foreigners. Morgan does not want to see it as an excuse. “I don’t want to see that as an excuse that we didn’t win the I League because we did not have the best foreigners. There is always something rather getting the fourth foreigner in around the Christmas time. It is important to get the right people. If we have to wait till the first game, so we have to. We have got a big enough squad to not miss one foreigner.
The fixtures are out but there is still going to be some changes. We have four or five away games before we play our first game. So, obviously that’s something we have to look at. Playing three away matches ahead of a home game will be tough for us.
Lastly talking about the sides he reckon will give a good fight, he said, “The guys at Bengaluru too will be thinking about the sides like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Yeah, there is some good teams in the league. With Churchill they have the pick of all the top players in Goa now. So lot of the player’s form the other three clubs (Dempo, Salgaocar and Sporting) will look to play in the I League.”
There were as many as 15 players like Nikhil Pujari, Jiten Murmu, Wedson, Kaushik Sarkar, Narayan Das, Rahul Bheke, Samad Ali Mullick and Deepak. All the five goalkeepers – Subhasish , Rehenesh TP, Dibyendu Sarkar, Abhilash Paul and Luis Barreto were seen training under new goal-keeping coach Abhijit Mondal.
Cavin Lobo and Bikash Jairu, who are coming back after injury was also seen doing physical training. Lobo had an operation in right knee and seemed to have gained a lot of weight.
Atletico de Kolkata defender Arnab Mondal who recently had an operation came down to the club to meet Morgan. They were seen discussing about the injury. The defender will be coming back to the club tomorrow to see the new physio of the club Simon Maltby, who will be arriving tonight.
Meanwhile, the Btritish coach had no problems with the East Bengal ground on Monday. But the club officials had already organized the training session at Howrah Stadium from tomorrow.