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Fatorda’s PJN Stadium on Saturday will host the second Kolkata derby of ISL 2021-22 between ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal.
Unlike the years gone by, the buzz and euphoria surrounding Asian football’s biggest rivalry seem to have dropped to an all-time low. No spectators, no ear-splitting chants, no banners, no banters, no physical takeaway from this fabled hurly-burly.
In a nutshell, the COVID-19 pandemic has stripped the derby of most of its derby-esque conventions. Much of this dryness can also be attributed to the one-sided nature of the contest in the ISL. Ever since the cash-rich league pitted the two giants against each other in their new avatars, ATK Mohun Bagan have never failed to prevail over their arch-rivals.
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SC East Bengal surrendered so meekly in the latest installment of this epic rivalry that the club’s faithful felt their iconic 5-0 triumph over Mohun Bagan in the 1975 IFA Shield final would be matched by the Mariners. Luckily, the Red and Gold Brigade lost the match by a 0-3 margin.
Grappling with myriad maladies, both on and off the field, Mario Rivera’s SC East Bengal are currently mired at the bottom of the table with nine points from 13 games. Their maiden win of the season against FC Goa did ignite hopes of a turnaround, but the spark proved temporary as they were trounced by Hyderabad FC 0-4 in their very next fixture.
Juan Ferrando’s ATK Mohun Bagan, meanwhile, find themselves in eighth position with 16 points from ten games. Despite their capricious form this season, the Mariners are still one of the prime contenders to reach the playoffs. What has been really perturbing the Green and Maroon think tank is their lack of training time due to a COVID-19 outbreak inside the bio-bubble.
What are Debjit Ghosh’s thoughts about the upcoming Kolkata derby? The fearless defender, who starred in several high-voltage derbies for both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan between 1996 and 2006, also worked as East Bengal’s assistant coach from 2015 to 2016.
On the eve of the “boro match”, Sportskeeda caught up with the former India captain and gained his insights on various aspects. Here are excerpts of the conversation, translated from Bengali.
Q: From fans to former players, everyone thinks ATK Mohun Bagan are the outright favorites to win Saturday’s Kolkata derby. Have you ever seen a derby whose odds are so heavily stacked against one team, in this case SC East Bengal?
Ghosh: We've seen many derbies in the past where one team started as firm favorites. However, I can’t remember a single instance when people gave 60 percent chance to one team and only 40 percent to the other. Based on the two teams’ performances over the past couple of years, everyone is expecting the match to be a one-sided affair in favor of ATK Mohun Bagan. I see nothing wrong with that.
Q: While SC East Bengal suffered a 0-4 drubbing in their previous outing against Hyderabad FC, the ATK Mohun Bagan camp has lacked sufficient match practice due to COVID-19 concerns. Which side will face a trickier test on Saturday?
Ghosh: I think it’s going to be East Bengal’s toughest derby ever. Considering the two teams’ relative strengths and balance, I can safely say that it will be an incredibly difficult match for East Bengal.
Q: Does this SC East Bengal squad really deserve to be languishing at the foot of the table? Before the start of the season, many experts including you had predicted that the team has the potential to reach the playoffs. Where did everything go wrong then?
Ghosh: I would blame the foreign players [for SC East Bengal’s disastrous run]. Renedy [Singh] showed us that the Indian players are not so bad. Poor performances from the foreigners have widened the gap between SC East Bengal and the other teams. Their performances prove that they came to India with exaggerated resumes. Moreover, Manolo Diaz’s tactics were not suitable for this team. These two factors have derailed SC East Bengal’s campaign this season.
Q: In a recent interview, Manolo Diaz claimed that Adil Khan is a “player of poor quality”. Do you agree with his opinion? What do you have to say about his coaching style during his SC East Bengal stint?
Ghosh: I doubt if Manolo Diaz is really a coach. I didn’t notice even one percent clarity in his match reading. From whatever little I’ve seen of him, I think he should judge himself first instead of judging others.
(Note: This interview happened before SC East Bengal shared Manolo Diaz's clarification letter with the media, which stated that his interview was "manipulated".)
Q: Do you think Marcelo Ribeiro and Antonio Perosevic should start together for the first time on Saturday?
Ghosh: Yes, of course. In fact, I won’t be surprised if Mario [Rivera] starts with Fran Sota as well. If Mario wants to introduce a surprise element in the first 15-20 minutes, I think all three of them can start together. Marcelo and Sota are completely new on the Indian circuit, so ATK Mohun Bagan have no prior idea of their skills.
Q: In the pre-derby press conference, Juan Ferrando revealed that Roy Krishna is not fit to play the full 90 minutes. If you played at the heart of SC East Bengal’s defense, how would you have tried to stop an unfit Krishna?
Ghosh: First, I would’ve advised the coach to cut off supply from Hugo Boumous and Liston Colaco. I would’ve thought about Krishna later because he shows his true spark only when the ball is supplied to him.
Speaking of the Odisha match, I think Krishna played his best football of the season in the first 25-30 minutes. He showed glimpses of his peak form with his diagonal runs and by applying constant pressure on Odisha’s central defenders. That said, I think SC East Bengal should be more wary of Boumous and Liston. You cannot afford to let these two players run with the ball towards your goal post.
Q: It’s going to be Juan Ferrando’s first Kolkata derby, whereas Mario Rivera already knows the importance of this match, thanks to his two previous stints at East Bengal. What are your expectations from this duel? What is your prediction for the match?
Ghosh: The scales are definitely tilted towards ATK Mohun Bagan; they have a 60 percent chance of winning the contest. I don’t think Juan Ferrando will have a lot to worry about as there are many match-winners in his team who can beat their rivals in one-on-one situations. Mario, on the other hand, has a tougher task because he has fewer options at his disposal. I would’ve said the same thing even if Mario were in charge of this side for more than 10 matches.
Q: Your former teammate Renedy Singh recently said that he’ll try to acquire a Pro License soon. Does Debjit Ghosh have a similar plan in mind?
Ghosh: Not really. I’m not thinking too much about coaching at the moment. I want Renedy to get a Pro License soon because I think he has the required skills for that. He looked quite aggressive as SC East Bengal’s interim head coach, which was a stark contrast to his playing days. I do believe Renedy has the quality to become the head coach of any ISL team once he gets his Pro License.
