Bhaichung Bhutia and Co. (picture left) warm up at the East Bengal ground on Wednesday as Mohun Bagan skipper Rennedy Singh and Ashim Biswas get ready on the eve of the clash between the arch-rivals. Pictures by Santosh Ghosh and Pabitra Das

Calcutta: Sometimes one would want to question the need for coaches in a Mohun Bagan-East Bengal match-up. Sometimes — and especially if one is listening to what they have to say about the morrow — maybe it would seem more like the roll of the dice, really. “It’s fifty-fifty on either side… not even the hardened pundit can say what the outcome would be from a match like this… only the day’s mental makeup decides...” Try astrology.

While not going into any hooky-pooky unscientific attempt at presaging, one can bring things down to the more prosaic. East Bengal look way better dressed for Thursday’s National Football League match versus a straggly Mohun Bagan, and that isn’t just because one Jose Ramirez Barreto had to run for his sanity from the latter club’s raucous surroundings.

It’s because East Bengal take their football as seriously as a game of soccer can be. And it’s because at Mohun Bagan all who matter (players apart) have forgotten the very basics of pride.

The “fifty-fifty” quote is standard on either side, the “what happens on that day” stuff as well. But while East Bengal coach Subhas Bhowmick narrows it down to “we cannot afford to lose tomorrow, yet we will not put ourselves under such pressure that we must and must win,” Mohun Bagan coach Aloke Mukherjee can talk of depending on “Team Mohun Bagan” and “counterattacks.”

Counterattacks? Raised eyebrows flatten quickly when one sees where the teams lie at the moment: East Bengal, in second position (18 points from ten matches) and Bagan way down at ninth (14 from 14). Extend it a bit, call it a survival stage, and subjects like “counterattacks” pop up. That, from a team that once ruled the country’s soccer scenario!

“Okay, so they don’t have Barreto,” said Bhowmick after morning practice. “Why isn’t anybody talking about my not having five of my key players? Injuries have taken their toll on Douglas da Silva, Suley Musah, Sasthi Duley, M. Suresh and Surkumar Singh. And Alvito D’Cunha has “zero” chance of being in the first XI.

Sounds like a pretty sad story. So what seems to be bothering Mohun Bagan? It’s the East Bengal bench strength. It seems endless. There is a forward line now that comprises Bhaichung Bhutia, Mike Okoro and Cristiano Junior. Shylo Malsawmtluanga is ready to stand in, even a bit withdrawn. So if one again sees Okoro being pushed down a bit Thursday, there’s no cause for worry.

Junior has scored seven goals in the last seven matches, maybe he’s looking forward to his eighth from eight. He did not attend morning practice, having gone to New Delhi to receive his wife who has come in from Brazil. He will be there Thursday, though.

The half line looks good (so what if Duley is virtually ruled out), so does the defence (Suresh’s injury notwithstanding).

“It is a matter of positive thinking alright, but no undue pressure is needed,” said Bhowmick. “I am now in a position I was after the first leg of the league even last year. And I believe being early second (Dempo lead with 21 points from ten matches) better than being early leader in a long league. You see things better and you catch up well.”

The desperation factor hangs heavy over Bagan instead. The five-midfielder start is likely, which means Asim Biswas’ shoulders will have to carry the load of a lot more hope that they should. He shone versus Indian Bank (hattrick) but has drawn a blank thereafter. So…

It also means the midfield has to do all the dirty work. Rennedy Singh agreed there “will be some pressure on the midfield, and that’s why we’ll have to give 100 per cent,” and all this while the defence has been shaky — and Sanjeev Maria will not be available.

The only positive for Bagan will be their last morale-boosting 1-0 victory over Dempo. It fits into the strategy, it fits into the fact that the coach is “surprised that so many players are injured at the same time.”

Mukherjee had the last word. “We must forget everything and go all out and fight.” Bhowmick’s postscript: “Bagan’s a tough team.”

TEAMS

East Bengal (from): Sangram Mukherjee; Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Mahesh Gawli, Anit Ghosh, Subhas Chakraborty, Mike Okoro, Sujoy Dutta, Debjit Ghosh, Alvito D’Cunha, Bhaichung Bhutia, Cristiano Junior, Shylo Malsawmtluanga.

Mohun Bagan (from): Bilifang Narzary; Babun Kar, Rocus Lamare, Harpreet Singh, Rishi Kapoor; Mehtab Hossain, Basudeb Mondal, Leonardo, Rennedy Singh, Ashim Biswas, Hardip Gill, Sunil Chhetri.