Subrata remains worried on eve of derby

Calcutta: The absence of Bhaichung Bhutia in a derby showdown is, normally, greeted by huge sighs of relief in the opposition camp. Well, the redoubtable East Bengal sharpshooter isn?t available for Saturday?s Super Division championship leg, yet the Mohun Bagan coach is hardly rejoicing.

?There?s no doubt that he is a good striker but East Bengal aren?t just about Bhaichung,? a rather subdued Subrata Bhattacharya observed after supervising a two-hour session during which he laid special emphasis on set-piece situations.

?They are a very good side which has been playing consistently well over the past two-three seasons? they have a sincere coach and the team has a fighting spirit which always shows, they never give up without a fight,? said the Mohun Bagan coach, who has his 82-year-old mother to worry about besides the ?big? match. She had surgery on Friday to mend a broken femur in the right leg.

Bhattacharya refused to accord any importance to the one-point lead his team is enjoying at this stage. ?A one-point advantage is no advantage going into a crucial match like this,? he commented, adding that even a victory on Saturday wouldn?t guarantee Mohun Bagan the league crown.

?We?ll have to put up a hard fight to bring the smiles on our fans? faces. I?ve told my boys what to do, they?re in good spirits? let?s see what the morrow holds,? Bhattacharya signed off on a philosophical note before rushing off to the nursing home.

Subhas Bhowmick, on the other hand, was in a jolly mood after the morning?s hard grind (?I made up with my wife after a fight,? he joked). On a more serious note, he was almost as magnanimous in his praise for the rivals as his opposite number.

?They (Mohun Bagan) are a much more balanced side than last year and it?s showing in the results? they have been playing well,? said Bhowmick.

But doesn?t the return of half-a-dozen India players give his side a big boost? ?Don?t think that?s a major factor? They also have got back their players.? See, there?s so much passion involved, so much pressure on players, you can?t take anything for granted.?