Beating MB in first Fed Cup final gave me breathing space – Trevor Morgan Exclusive Part One

Image Credit: AIFF Media

You can read part two of the interview here.

Three years usually shouldn’t be enough for a player or coach to get legendary status at a club like East Bengal but Englishman Trevor Morgan is an exception. Morgan took charge of the Kolkata giants in the summer of 2010 and at that point East Bengal were going through one of the worst phases of their long illustrious history as they were mediocre in the I-League and were consistently getting undone by arch-rivals Mohun Bagan.

Although East Bengal were the Federation Cup holders, the dismal showing in the 2010 AFC Cup and 2009-10 I-League showed that the club were in crisis. Morgan turned out to be their saviour as he won three trophies in the first three months of tenure and eventually transformed East Bengal into one of the most consistent teams of the country.

That consistency was achieved in over three seasons and East Bengal’s name is also back on the Asian map as he guided them to the AFC Cup quarter-finals.

Sportskeeda caught up with the 56-year-old for an exclusive chat and we kicked off the interview by asking him to sum up his three-year spell at the red-and-gold brigade.

“Very enjoyable, we played some great football, won eight trophies in that time and have brought the name of East Bengal club back into Indian football as one of the most consistent teams. East Bengal are also back in the AFC scene after a long absence and I would like to think we entertained our supporters in doing that and played the game in the right manner,” Morgan told Sportskeeda.

Morgan won eight trophies at East Begal including two Federation Cups

The former Hull City development coach’s popularity among East Bengal fans was clearly visible and audible in his final game, which was against Mohun Bagan, as 50,000 fans were chanting his name in full voice.

Much before that final fixture, Morgan had already stated that he is leaving the club despite having a year left on his contract. All throughout he had maintained that the reasons for his departure were personal and Morgan reiterated that in this interview so even though he was emotionally touched by the reaction of the fans in his final game, there were no second thoughts about his decision.

“It was an unforgettable moment and something I will never ever forget, for me personally it was a very humbling experience and I will forever remember the East Bengal supporters’ reaction towards me. It was a very difficult decision to leave East Bengal but one I had come to a couple of months earlier so that moment really had no bearing on me having second thoughts,” he stated.

Eight trophies, 55% winning rate in the I-League and progression to the last eight of Asia’s Europa League. The consistency that East Bengal managed under Morgan was staggering but what according to him was his best achievement?

“My best achievement and the one that gave me the most satisfaction was leading the team undefeated through the AFC Cup group stage. The most important one of me being accepted was beating Mohun Bagan in the Fed Cup final in my first season, as a foreign coach it gave me some breathing space and made it easier to settle into Calcutta and Indian Football,” he opined.

The only blemish on Morgan’s tenure was the failure to win the I-League title, a trophy East Bengal hasn’t won since 2004 but the Englishman doesn’t have any regrets.

“No, I have no regrets at all, we won eight trophies, we gave it our all but it wasn’t quite good enough. It was disappointing but it wasn’t to be for us so let’s enjoy what we did do and not have regrets over what we didn’t do,” Morgan said.

We also asked the former striker to pick the toughest opposing coach and player that he faced while at East Bengal. Not surprisingly, Morgan didn’t give away any names and revealed that he and his players showed equal respect to every opponent but he did single out one name when asked to select the best East Bengal player he worked with.

“Any opponent or opposing coach is the toughest opposition, if you think any differently you will not win any game, whether it be a Calcutta League game or an AFC Cup game. It is important to prepare properly and that means giving the other team full respect.

“(Best player I worked with?) Alan Gow, he had a great technique and understanding of the game and gave us good balance being naturally left footed. Many people were unsure of Alan but if he had remained with us at East Bengal I am sure we would have had even more success,” he recalled.

Scotsman Alan Gow spent just 4 months at East Bengal before moving to English League Two outfit Exeter City

Morgan’s successor Brazilian Marcos Falopa faces a tough task following the former Bristol City striker’s immense consistency but how does the Englishman want to be remembered by the East Bengal faithful?

“Sometimes in life you get in the right place at the right time and I think this happened at East Bengal. The players were fantastic from the day I walked through the door and settled into the system we played and were happy in it. Winning games changes the whole atmosphere, the players looked forward to coming to work and that showed in their performances so although I was the Coach they made it easy for me with the way they prepared and played.

“Whether or not I revived the glory days is not for me to say as I was not there during that time but I do believe 100% that East Bengal have been the most consistent team in India during the past three years and would hope the East Bengal fans remember not just myself but all the players who made those three years so enjoyable,” he concluded.

In part two of this interview you will find out about Morgan’s future plans and his thoughts on East Bengal’s AFC Cup quarter-final draw against Indonesian champions Semen Padang. Watch this space.