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Trevor Morgan warns players to perform to stay in the team

January 09 2017
XtraTime

East Bengal coach delighted with Willis Plaza

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East Bengal coach Trevor Morgan with Willis Plaza at the training on Monday. Image Source: Xtra Time
Kolkata: The start for Kingfisher East Bengal hasn’t been impressive in the Hero I-League 2017 at Barasat on Saturday. The Red & Gold brigade stumbled in their opening game against Aizwal FC as they shared points with the side who got initially relegated from the league last season. Coach Trevor Morgan seemed determined to bring his side in the winning ways in their next fixture against DSK Shivajiyans on Friday. More importantly, Trevor was concerned about Haitian midfielder Wedson Anselme as he failed to live up to the expectations against Aizwal. But the Red & Gold boss made it clear to his players that he won’t hesitate to drop even a big name, if he fails to perform. On Monday, after the training session, the gaffer said, “Everyone has to play a big role. Players who will play in the team, have to earn their places in the team. If they play well by doing what we ask them to do, they will be there in the team. If someone doesn’t do that, he will be out and the next man will be in.”

East Bengal have recruited too many wingers this season and that has been causing the gaffer a lot of problems to select his playing XI. Haitian midfielder Wedson who is usually a right winger, is now forced to play as a no.10, behind the center forward to balance the side. But it’s never easy to fit in a new role in such short time. The gaffer had lack of attacking options as well on the attacking front in the first game. Trevor confessed, “We have more players available now. Haokip only came back to training on Thursday. And you cannot fit someone new to the side who had just two training sessions. It’s not fair when everybody is there and not fair for the player. Of course this is not the formation we want to play, but considering the players we have got this season, I have to play in a different system.”

The good news for the East Bengal fans is that their Trinidad & Tobago forward Willis Plaza who showed glimpses of his class in the opening game despite having jet lag, is getting fitter and sharper combining with Semboi Haokip on the front.  Trevor too seemed delighted of his presence as he said, “Willis Plaza is gonna be a great player for the club this season. He is good in his runs. Really good in one is to one situations. He is steadying his influence in my team. A superb addition to the squad.”

Ivan Bukenye came up as a fresh air in the opening game as he rescued his side from a potential defeat. But the Ugandan defender seemed to have lack of fitness in the training session today and will take some time to get fully fit. Though he was paired with Anwar in the training as the coach wants to reshape his back four with Robin Gurung coming in as a right fullback and Bukenye as a central defender in place of Gurwinder, retaining Narayan Das on the left. Trevor detailed, “Well honestly I don’t think we defended too badly in the last game. In the first half, apart from that Gurwinder shot we didn’t have too much problem. In the second half they had some counter attacks and Rehnesh once made a good save as I remember. Whatever they did was because of our own bad play. We are trying to rectify those mistakes this week.”

Ahead of facing two away challenges against DSK and Churchill respectively and then followed by a stern test of facing defending champions Bengaluru FC at home, Trevor seemed a bit relaxed as well as circumspect. He signed off by saying, “Well, all games are crucial. In the first game we dropped two points or rather gave away two points to the opposition. But there will be a lot of hick-ups and slip ups in the league and all games are crucial. But considering the players we now have in the side, I am sure we can impose more threat while going to the attack than what we did in the last game.”