Calcutta: Hitting the road seeking six points from two matches, Mohun Bagan will return from Goa Wednesday evening with an empty bag.

A 1-2 loss to Salgaocar on Thursday followed by a 1-3 loss to Dempo on Tuesday in the I-League have rocked the Bagan boat so badly that even the most ardent fan is doubting whether the green and maroon brigade can go the distance. They now finish the first leg with 20 points from 13 matches and are now fourth in the standings behind Dempo, Churchill Brothers and Mahindra United.

Suddenly, there is a clamour to give Karim Bencharifa the boot who till the other day was seen as the man who can bring back the I-League.

The official version though is there won’t be a change of guard but the club will take stock of the situation. “We have to do some introspection and will ask for the coach and players’ views once we come back,” senior club official Debasish Datta said from Margao.

So, what happened in Goa that things have come to such a pass? Sources in the Bagan camp said that a row between Bencharifa and team manager Dr Arun Chakraborty did play a big role in these two back-to-back reverses.

“Just imagine a team coming from a win at Mumbai against Mahindra losing to Salgaocar. How is it possible? This row upset the rhythm so much that suddenly we all started having second thoughts about our abilities,” a senior player told The Telegraph from Margao.

This is true since beating Mahindra in their own den is no mean task. And Bagan, for the record, came back from a goal down to record a memorable 2-1 win.

The senior player also said that Chakraborty’s role during the Goa leg left a lot to be desired. “He remained so aloof that sometimes the coach had to do managerial duties,” he said. In fact, the scene was so bad that Datta had to rush from Calcutta before the Dempo match to soothe the frayed tempers. A team source revealed that club officials have told the coach and some of the senior players that Chakraborty won’t be travelling with the team in future.

“But the damage has been done. We have lost six points which was there for the taking. You know, this was the best chance to beat Dempo in Goa. There was no Ranty Martins, no Beto. And we end up losing the match,” another senior player said.

Quite true. Mohun Bagan on Tuesday looked unusually defensive and that the off-the-field spat has taken a toll on the players, was very glaring under the hot Margao sun.

All the three goals that Bagan concede were defensive errors and could have been avoided. In the 57th minute the defence did not spot Nicholau Borges running from the blindside following a Valeriano Rebello free-kick and the former easily tapped it home.

Ryuji Sueoka got the equaliser minutes later, but Dempo were up 2-1 in the 78 th minute when man-of-the-match Sunil Chetri was allowed a free header inside the box. Even Chetri could not believe it since you don’t even get an opportunity like this during training sessions!

The third was a blunder from Sagram Mandi when he failed to clear an innocuous cross from the right and Chetri obliged with an angular drive past a helpless Shilton Paul.

With no Dipak Mondal, NS Manju or N Mohanraj in the defence Bagan’s back-four is at its leaking best these days. Manju made a horrendous comeback from injury against Salgaocar and was “rested” against Dempo. Mohanraj and Dipak are still not match-fit.

“It’s a strange thing. We have scored 29 goals in the I-League but have also let in 22,” Bencharifa was at a loss.

And is he staying at the helm after the twin losses? “As long as the brass has faith in me I am here. But one thing I must say this was the worst trip I had as a Bagan coach.”

Well, history says when Bagan want to give someone the boot, the build-up begins with something akin to what the Moroccan endured in Goa.