"I’m delighted with the performance" - East Bengal head coach Stephan Constantine after securing win over Mumbai City FC in ISL 2022-23

East Bengal shocked Indian Super League (ISL) Shield winners Mumbai City FC by defeating them 1-0 at the Mumbai Football Arena on Sunday, 19 February.

The Red and Gold Brigade have been improving in recent weeks and it was certainly a marker of how far they have come under Stephen Constantine. After having quality chances in the first half, Naorem Mahesh Singh ultimately scored the only goal of the game in the 52nd minute to seal a famous victory.

In the process, they also became the first team to defeat the Islanders at home this season. Speaking to the media after the game, East Bengal's head coach Constantine expressed his views on another solid performance.

"I’m delighted with the performance. I thought, today, we were the better team and obviously, congratulations to Des Buckingham and his staff for winning the Shield. It’s just what I’ve been saying for the last six or seven months. The only time we were outclassed in any game was against Mumbai in Kolkata."

He added:

"All the other games, we have been competitive, we have made a lot of mistakes that have cost us games, but I have to remind everybody that when I arrived here, there were 12 players, no doctors, no physios.

"We could have had another 10 points, but I have to give these boys the credit because they have fought with whatever they have and they have given everything for me. Of course, it’s always good to win and now we can look forward to the derby."

The English tactician is no stranger to criticism, but questions have been raised about his ability to manage the side ever since he arrived. Quizzed on whether this was the perfect response to the critics, he said:

"No. There’s always going to be people unhappy because the player they want is probably not playing or we have made mistakes and I take responsibility for all the mistakes the players have made. When you are managing a team like East Bengal, you cannot please everyone all the time, so I’m just trying to win football games with the players that I have.

"We have won six games this season, and the most points we had in the ISL, and still have the top scorer in the league. Obviously, I’m happy when we win and really bad when we lose."

He also discussed how difficult it is to keep outside noise and criticism out of the squad. The East Bengal head coach also talked about his desire to take the club to new heights.

"For me, it’s quite easy. I don’t read any of the stuff and everyone has an opinion. The difference is you sit in the crowd and you assume you will be correct, as you are never there when decisions are made. But I have been tasked with taking this club back to where it was. I’m completely obsessed with what I do and at the moment, my obsession is to put the team into the top six.

"We need the support of the staff, the board, and the support of the players when things go wrong and I have that. I think the board have shown support from the first day and as long as they are behind me, I’m not afraid of anyone."

"I know what the derby means to everyone" - East Bengal head coach Stephen Constantine

East Bengal have certainly finished the season on a positive note, but they have one more game to show their mettle in. It will be an important match for the fans and the club as they hope to get one over their fierce rivals ATK Mohun Bagan. Speaking about the derby, Constantine explained:

"I know what the derby means to everyone, and it’s an important game and we want to win it. We had a very good performance today; they won yesterday and it’ll be a hard fought game. I hope that we take the confidence of this performance, of the Kerala and Jamshedpur performances, where we have shown the capability to beat anybody on our day."

Constantine’s contract ends this season, with East Bengal yet to offer him an extension. The Englishman spoke at length about the situation and believes that consistency will ultimately bring success to the club.

"My contract ends in May, I’m done. If people are unhappy with my performance, no problem. I’ll have offers here, outside, and a few other teams. If you keep changing the coach, don’t expect to win too many football games. East Bengal have changed 10 coaches in the last four years.

"We lost some players who were interested in coming here because I couldn’t tell them I’ll be here next season for sure. If you want consistency, you get the coach and stick with the coach. If you keep changing the coach, that means you are going to have to change the players, the formations, and the staff and there’s no consistency."

East Bengal have unquestionably improved from last season and will finish eighth in the standings this time around. Constantine will look to end the season positively before his club returns to action the following month in the Hero Super Cup.