I-League undergoes course correction

Air-India coach Bimal Ghosh expects the more established teams to continue resurgence. “It was always a matter of time before these teams would get their act together and start winning again,” says Ghosh. His team has been the most consistent of the three Mumbai teams so far and is placed third on the table.

Ghosh reveals that the early start to the I-league this season, in addition to playing on wet grounds, could have been responsible for the spate of upsets in the early rounds. “Also, the players would have been a bit rusty. And I thought that some of the big teams took their opponents for granted,” he adds.

Derrick Pereira, Mahindra United coach, is extremely pleased with his team’s 2-0 win over struggling Vasco in an away encounter, and insists that panic never set in despite the Durand Cup champions losing their first three games. “We were severely hampered by the injury to Lamine Tamba and also by the whole transfer issue concerning Steven Dias and NP Pradeep,” he says. Pereira reveals that both Dias and Pradeep weren’t 100 per cent on the field. “They weren’t part of the squad during our Durand win, and may have felt a little out of place. But they are settling in much better now which augurs well,” adds Pereira.

He insists that the ground conditions during the early rounds across the country and the fact that local leagues in Goa and Kolkata had already started were responsible for the top teams struggling. “The local Kolkata league is as tough and professional as the national league, and it takes a lot out of the players,” adds Pereira.

Surprise packages Mumbai FC started their debut season with a bang, mowing down giants like East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mahindra, but with two consecutive defeats, have dropped down the standings. “But three wins out of our first five games is still an amazing achievement. Anyway, there is a long way to go still,” insists coach Henry Menezes on his return from the AFC meeting in Kuala Lumpur. He adds his team will have to rethink some of their tactics for the next few matches, and is confident of retaining their early form.

Pereira also feels that Mumbai FC will continue to be a threat. “They have an experienced coach and a very professional training staff. Their players have also been consistent so far,” he says.

As the dream start comes to an abrupt end for the less fancied teams this season, the onus is now on them to maintain their composure and continue to push their more established opponents.