A triumph of tactics for Bagan's coach

NEW DELHI, MARCH 20. Looking down and out at the start of the season, India's oldest football club Mohun Bagan has wrought an extraordinary turnaround in the fourth National League to snatch its second title with much to spare.

Minutes after his team had lost to Salgaocar - the team it went on to depose - via a `golden goal' in the Super Cup clash at the Ambedkar Stadium here on December 6, coach Subrato Bhattacharya was hard-pressed to explain to a bunch of Bagan faithfuls his team's dismal show in the Durand and Super Cup events in the capital.

Visibly angry and disappointed, he tried to pacify the group which had been rooting for Bagan throughout the match, but it left dejected and unconvinced by his assurances.

Three months hence, the 47-year-old former India star is a satisfied man after marking the superb turnaround with Bagan clinching the title emphatically and with two rounds to spare.

The green and maroon outfit from Calcutta has gleaned 44 points from 20 rounds, to take an unassailable lead of eight points from its nearest rival, Salgaocar of Goa.

Shabir Ali's side held a theoretical chance of pipping Bagan to the post if it won the last three games and in the unlikely event of Bagan losing to struggling city rival East Bengal and Tollygunge Agragami, but the Goans fell 0-2 to FC Kochin in its 20th round match to concede the title.

It was a triumph for Bhattacharya's tactics as his club produced the most consistent fare, winning 13 matches and losing only two in 20 games. Bhattacharya used Jose Ramirez Baretto as a withdrawn forward to telling effect, the Brazilian not only scoring goals but setting up others after neatly fitting into the 4-4-3 formation adopted.

Bagan's victory was achieved mainly owing to its foreign recruits, particularly forwards, Nigerian Stephen Abarowei, Baretto and Ukranian Igor Skhvirin.

But wingback Debjit Ghosh, medios R.P. Singh, James Singh and the creative Basudeb Mondal played important supportive roles as the coach blended the members from diverse backgrounds into one cohesive unit.

Though Abrowei's inclusion before the Durand Cup failed to click initially as he looked out of sorts in the first couple of matches, Bhattacharya persevered with him and his patience paid off as the forward who starred in JCT's title victory in the inaugural edition gradually grew in stature.

Same was the case with Shkvirin. The Uzbek failed to make the starting line-up in the first few matches, but showed his class with a superb equaliser against FC Kochin and kept up same form to emerge the joint topscorer with eight goals.

Bhattacharya, who had a forgettable first stint with the club in 1995, however made a good start this time when the premier Calcutta club won the IFA shield.

The players responded as one in the league, considered a race for the stayers with 22 matches to be played among the 12 teams, to help Bagan repeat its maiden victory in 1998.

After failing to make much of an impact in the Durand Cup - losing to Salgaocar in the semifinal - besides losing the Super Cup tie, Bagan got off to an unconvincing start at Ludhiana, squeaking past debutant BSF 1-0.

Bigger disappointment awaited it as it was upset 1-2 by JCT, Phagwara - the first of its two defeats - at the same Guru Nanak Stadium. Its woes continued as it was held 1-1 in the third round by another struggling outfit - Mahindra and Mahindra.

But victories against maiden entrant State Bank of Travancore and archrival East Bengal at home in the next two rounds proved the morale booster as Bagan came up with a fine run to end the first phase just a point adrift of table topper Churchill Brothers.

Bagan lifted its game by many notches to win seven of its last nine matches in the second phase as Bhattacharya found the right combinations upfront to raise hopes of a nail-biting finish with Churchill.

The neck and neck race between the two powerhouses continued till the 18th round when Bagan (38) stood three points ahead of Churchill (35) with Salgaocar (30) in hot pursuit.

But Churchill was tripped 0-1 by a resurgent Mahindras and 1-2 by relegation-fighting ITI to diminish hopes of a close finish, and when Salgaocar went down to ITI, Bhattacharya's dream was fulfilled with 10 days left for the completion of the prestigious championship.

- PTI

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