After a disappointing last season when they finished bottom of the table, East Bengal FC are looking for a change in fortunes this time around. With new coach Stephen Constantine at the helm, the Red and Gold brigade have aspirations of being competitive in the league and finishing in the top four.
The new coach has given great insight into the team’s preparations and ambitions for the new season when he spoke in the press conference ahead of their ISL match against FC Goa. When asked about the areas where he wants the team to improve, Constantine emphasised the need for time.
“Of course, you can’t build a team in two weeks but we can improve in all departments. Every game we are going to get better. That is certain, “said the 59-year-old.
“We are in a rebuilding process. We finished last, last year, second to bottom two years ago. We got some moments in the first game. I don’t say we are anyway near where we will be at the end of the season but how you start the season is not how you finish it. The players will have a better understanding of what they have to do. They are working very hard with the atmosphere of the team and the camp. We have six solid foreign players and a group of Indian players who have something to prove, so we will work and continue to work and hopefully, we can grab the three points against FC Goa and move on,” added the East Bengal coach.
We do not have the luxury of some of the budgets that other teams have- Stephen Constantine
Constantine further spoke of East Bengal’s disadvantages in terms of budget and preparation time. He said, “We are not thinking about four, two, three or six. We are taking one game at a time. We do not have the luxury of some of the budgets that other teams have. We do not have the luxury of having two and a half or three months of pre-season.”
“We have had four weeks. If people are expecting that after four weeks of training to be in the top six or the top four, then you have to be a bit realistic, “said the former India coach. The new East Bengal coach hopes for the new season to bring better rewards for the team and has vowed to work towards it.
“This is football. No one goes to play and wants to lose. We are going to do all we can to make sure of that. There is belief in the staff, the players that we are doing things that haven’t been done before. But these are other things. What counts in the game against FC Goa is the result and we will give everything that we have to win this game and that’s all we can say, “said the London-born coach.
“I’m not a magician but we are working hard and will continue to work hard and with the supporters we have hope, “ concluded Stephen Constantine.
