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8th NFL ANALYSIS - by Abhishek Gujral
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As the 8th National Football League draws to a close, Mohun Bagan fans across the country are celebrating. The joy on their faces is all too evident, as is the feel good factor. Not only that, green and maroon seem to be in vogue no matter where you go- isn’t this a happy time for all of us, the fans of India’s National Club.
No my dear friend, we have not won the NFL. No, not at all, nowhere close. Even better….we have avoided relegation! Yes, it’s true! Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, India’s pride and joy, has actually survived in the premier division!
So how exactly should I start to describe the season? I distinctly remember a Pakistani football fan I met a long time ago. He told me that he sincerely wanted India to do well in football. He felt that only if we did well would the Pakistani authorities be jealous and angry, and only then would things improve there!
Unfortunately, the same logic does not apply to us here. While our fierce rivals in red and gold are scaling new heights, we are struggling to hold on for our dear lives. Let’s not get into the blame game- the point is, where do we go from here?
Up, up and up hopefully. As we look at the last season, the fact remains that the team was never strong enough. We only had a few quality players, with Renedy Singh and Jose Ramirez Barreto the obvious stars. And when half of that deadly duo leaves-for reasons we shall not get into- trouble was always around the corner. The team struggled right through, and with India’s brightest young striker Ashim Biswas going through a lean patch, goals were at a premium, to say the least. As if that was not enough, someone decided to play a real cruel joke on the club by signing a tall, clumsy, bungling, Brazilian called Edu, who is by far the worst foreigner to have played in the NFL. However, the other two foreigners- Brazilian left back Leonardo Almeida and Zimbabwean midfielder Noel Kasake did do a reasonable job, to somewhat save the day for us. One must also mention the ever-reliable Basudeb Mondol and the talented Prasanta Dora who always stood up to be counted. As far as the rest are concerned, the less said the better.
With the transfer window upon us, all I can say is that things cannot really get any worse. We’re a proud lot, us Bagan fans, and it’s time the team realized that. Watch out, here we come !!!
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