East Bengal have been busy in the transfer window with their headline grabbing moves before the start of the Calcutta Football League. They have already released their foreigners and jumped the gun to hold talks with a number of Aizawl FC players. Without a permanent coach now, the Red and Golds have also set the ball in motion in that regards after holding talks with Sanjoy Sen or Khalid Jamil over taking the reins of the century-old club.
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Nothing constructive has arrived yet vis-à-vis the signing of a new coach, but they have already confirmed the signature of a number of Aizawl FC players. While other clubs have opted for a passive approach, East Bengal have been going gung-ho in the market.
They have already signed versatile defender Lalramchullova, winger Brandon Vanlalremdika and Richard Costa. The Red and Golds have also promoted various youngsters from their academy for the upcoming tournament, a move which otherwise would’ve looked good but with these signings already on board, it seems to be a panic move. The game time for these academy graduates will be a cause for concern and their effective contribution will remain shrouded in mystery.
Does this mean their past worries have been resolved? We take a look at why East Bengal are treading the wrong path with their bizarre transfer activities.
They are making quick-fire buys without considering the needs of the team
From Lalram Chullova to Brandon Vanlalremdika, East Bengal have ravaged the Aizawl FC squad to bolster their own. Talks have ben going on with Aizawl goalkeeper Albino Gomes and Jayesh Rane but all of these are happening too soon for the team. Without a permanent coach in hand, the officials and a makeshift committee are taking the decisions on behalf of the club.
Consequently, the writing on the wall seems to be reiterating a similar tale of the previous season. Coach Trevor James Morgan had stated at the end of last season that apart from Robin Singh none of the signings was at his behest. East Bengal seem to be trudging on a similar track this time as well.
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The scouts are not exploring the market before zeroing in on players
Having released their foreigners, East Bengal have already named the prospective replacements even before the preparation for the domestic season could start. Ghanaian international striker Murtala Seidu Bancey and Zambian defender Ziyo Tembo are expected to trudge on to the field for the CFL wearing the Red and Gold.
Ziyo Tambo is a centre-back who last played for Zanaco FC, a club based in Zambia. The 31-year-old has played four games in the CAF Champions League this season, keeping a clean sheet three times. On the other hand, Seidu Bancey is a fleet-footed striker who plied his trade for ES Zarzis in Tunisia. The right-footed striker is known to be good in link-up play and is powerful against slow defenders.
These are short term signings and are aimed to provide cover for the domestic Calcutta Football League season. Presently, the technical committee headed by ex-East Bengal player Manoranjan Bhattacharya is visiting Africa to scout these players. However, these kinds of transfers do not provide any adequate strategy which can be replicated in the long run. As a result, one won’t be blamed if he is sceptical about East Bengal’s fortunes in the upcoming season.
Without a long-term strategy in place, the foreign buys are destined to be damp squibs
The only substantial buy to replace the departing Mehtab Hossain has been the Syrian stalwart Mahmoud Al-Amnah. The 34-year old provided excellent cover in central midfield for Aizawl FC and had been instrumental in their title-winning run. Snapping him up was an incisive move from the East Bengal management. But apart from the Syrian, there has not been any significant foreign player in the radar of the East Bengal management.
There have been doubts regarding the ability of Amnah in the humid conditions of Kolkata. His age might be the hindering factor as he will be tested in different climatic conditions in the plains.
All of these remind us of the exciting South Korean Do Dong-Hyun, The 21-year-old had impressed in his first season of the Calcutta Football League with his set piece finesse. However, with time, his form dwindled and he was released at the beginning of the I-League season. East Bengal do not seem to have learned their lesson from their past failures and are destined to be in dire straits with their brusque transfers.
One of the primary task during the transfer window is building a “team” which was specifically overlooked by the officials in past seasons. This time, it is no exception as an abysmal campaign last time has forced a knee-jerk reaction to appease the disheartened fans. But, a non-guided approach like this is not going to help the team to turn around their wilting fortunes.
Signing big names without analysing the needs of the team is a basic flaw on the part of the management. From Sanjoy Sen to Khalid Jamil their choices have been sporadic for the position of the head coach as well.
Currently, it is the lack of football acumen which is plaguing the Red and Golds. Once a coach gets appointed, he can oversee the team’s transfers and deliberate on the recruitment policy with the management. Without the same, the new buys cannot be expected to deliver something magical to secure the elusive I-League trophy.
