CFL-2016: Highlights on Mohan Bagan and its Young Team Performance at the CFL ‘ 16
Mohan Bagan have decided to field a comparatively young and inexperienced team. More precisely the management have decided to treat the CFL as a nurturing ground to bring up young talents which would aid them in i-league and in the future endeavors. From footballing perspective and logically it could be termed as a wise decision. CFL has lost its charm long back and it is now only carried on for the sake of it.
A Brief Intro of the Team Players and Legends Behind:
Coming back to Mohan Bagan, a young and vibrant group has a proven striker to lead them upfront in Duffy. The boy for future in azahar to partner him. A new coach to prove his mettle, hardworking midfielders in Saran and Fernandez, eye catching defenders in Sarthok and Tannoy and a player to watch out for in Prabir. The credit goes to Sanjay sen and co. to take up such a brave decision. The first time this season, bagan’s young guns took the field; they dazzled everyone with their speed, stamina and playing strategies. They seemed to be a united group with a certain purpose. But as it is in football, you can’t take things for granted. The inexperienced side couldn’t hold up to the momentum of winning and craze that oppose them. But then there are several coaches in football. Shankarlal in his first ever solo endeavor should have been more courageous but somewhere he wasn’t up to the mark. As soon as, Mohan Bagan’s young guns started to falter, he too did.
An ageing Daniel Bidemi was roped in and even fielded in the very first week of his arrival. And he did nothing more then just strolling around the field the entire time of his debut match. Not even half fit, he costed young Robinson and more effective Taman Maity their places in the first 11. Anticipating the reason it could be said that because the coach was too worried about the materialistic result. A foreigner with huge physical presence is good enough, even if he is of not much use. Mohan Bagan in any way will not be signing him for the i-league sqaud. Then what is the use? Wasn’t it the goal at the start of the season to give the young and inexperienced players more field time? To make a supply chain for the i-league squad? If a team’s coach can’t trust his own players, how would he even get results out of them.
The Other Reasons that Aided the Result:
The heavy ground conditions also did no good to the young teams performance. But that was the challenge the marines took in the beginning of the season. To not focus on the mere winning of the CFL but to build a team rather Build players. But then we aren’t dreamer’s for sure. And surely not brave as well. Shankarlal moved to long ball strategy, the easy and tested way to get result in rain soaked maidan. The swift movement in the middle of the park was compromised. Player’s lost their shape and the strikers their supply.
All this happened as Shankarlal succumbed to the pressure of results. Wining CFL became the goal, leaving behind the dream of building a team. Chasing the arch rivals on points table was more crucial than to focus on young talents. Sankarlal have a golden opportunity this season with Sanjay Sen leaving his chair for Sankar to develop and establish himself ; the management being equally supportive the task didn’t seem very difficult. But Sankar took it otherwise, for him winning the league became the proving point and nurturing a team took a back seat. No one reminded Sankar the initial goal. And even the management seemed to lose their path. In place of giving the young mariners the much needed confidence, they focused on how not to play the derby and rest of the League. Are they scared of yet another 4-0 thrashing? Perhaps this is the reason of such horrifying confusion. Their arch rivals are comparatively much stronger. But unless you dream you can’t achieve anything. Unless you are brave you won’t succeed. This is a young team with much capabilities. Yes, they are inexperienced. They may falter badly in a high voltage derby. But at the same time young hearts are always brave hearts; Fearless, may what come. Who can say this team can’t return back 6 goals after conceding 4?
The lakhs of Green and Maroon supporters would be overjoyed if Bagan wins this year’s CFL and the derby as well. But surely they would be more jubilant if they get a team to support. A team that would play the beautiful game in a beautiful way in future, if they get another Shishir Ghosh in Azhar, another Bidesh Bose in Prabir or another Alok in Tanmoy. This squad has the full potential to deliver good rathher better or best result, only if the coach and management would have been that brave in reality, rather than true Dreamers of the game.
Rajarshi Chowdhury