Bhowmick says East Bengal will treat the local league as preparation for their English tour

Calcutta: East Bengal coach Subhas Bhowmick Friday refused to concentrate on his first Calcutta League Super Division match versus Railway FC Saturday, insisting instead to talk about the team’s upcoming English tour.

While he talked about “preparing” for England “through this local league,” saying the “English tour will be our main preparation for the AFC Cup,” he did mention that his team was only 45 per cent fit at the moment. “Last season, before the start, we were 65 per cent fit as we got six weeks additional time.”

Sounds like an excuse, but then he refused to talk about the Railway team, showing instead that yesterday’s also-ran Nitin Pradhan could have as strike partner a Dipankar Roy or even an Alvito D’Cunha.

Later in the day, it may be added, East Bengal signed up Syed Rahim Nabi and Madhab Das, both recently out of the no-signing ban and to definitely miss the start Saturday.

Bhowmick’s hesitancy can be understood from the background. He said at the start he was toying with the idea of playing a 4-1-4-1 formation. He had to scrap that idea, though, because a “lack of training.” “All these days, we have been doing only physical training and with this amount of soccer preparation, I cannot afford that formation,” the coach said.

It does not mean Railways are going to have a field time Saturday, given the sheer reputation of the national champions, but if the coach’s ultra stress on the future and negligence on the current league persists some might just rub off on the players.

Bhowmick said the starting line-up in the entire league will see four to five new faces each day. “As for the seniors, I know who can do what, but my main task will be to get a hint of the newcomers before we start our national and international campaigns,” he said. “I will also have to take a look at the players from other states. It is very difficult for the new recruits to show best in the first appearance on the soggy Calcutta Maidan,” Bhowmick added.

Railways can take heart from that.

The likely team (for Saturday)

Sangram Mukherjee, Syed Hussain, Dipak Mondal, Louis Aniweta, Selwyn Fernandez, Shylo Malswamtluanga, Climax Lawrence, Sandip Das, Dipankar Roy, Nitin Pradhan, Alvito D’Cunha.