It was the first instance of MohunBaganClub.com visiting the club grounds after Amal Dutta took charge of the Mariners reigns . As we entered the club tent we first met with Roberto Mendez Silva [ Beto ] . After the initial exchange of pleasantries , Beto said : " Oh , this is a new Mohun Bagan ! We have absolutely no pressure " . Mehtab and Amit Das entered next on the laters booming bike . Mehtab said like a pro : " Yes ,Amal Sir is making us practice under new methods every day . We are working very hard now ,but i think we have no other options at hand . A smiling Noel Wilson said :"Yes it is interesting to practice under this veteran but new coach ! A welcome change indeed" .

With these encouraging comments from the players we entered the arena - The Mohun Bagan ground . We saw a 70 odd year old man in a golden Umbro Brazil shirt , blue shorts , a blue cap on his head , a whitsle in his mouth , a glimpse of a smile on his face and lots of determination in his seasoned eyes ...

 Behold - Amal Dutta - The Legend of Kolkata Maidan

The practice started with a ' break the lethargy' jog round the field . Then started the ball practice . And , yes the practice was a unique one . First the team was separated into defenders , medios , forwards and goal keepers . Satyajit Chatterjee - the assistant coach took charge of the goal keepers and forwards while Amal Dutta took extreme care to harness the skills of Noel , Mehtab , Du ,Babalade and all .
     (Du, Baba with the coach)
 
(Noel, Ancheri , Bivas with the Asst. Coach)

This was followed by off the ball skills like maneuver runs , 'fool the defender feints' , overlap runs by Dulal and Wadoo . Then coach Amal Dutta decided to group the players and start shooting practice ... It was a great one indeed .

 

After this session which lasted about an hour and a half , Amal Dutta and Satyajit Chatterji called in the wards for a talk session before starting the practice match .It was really nice to see the gleeful mood of the players . They were smiling , cracking baudy jokes at each other in short really enjoying themselves . It was during this time that Asim Biswas arrived and had a word with his mates and the coach . Asim told us : " Dont worry , i will be back . But i think its going to be about a week before i start practice ."


The players listened with eagerness as the veteran Amal Dutta along Satyajit Chatterjee went on with their words of wisdom .Amal Dutta was on the serious side while Satyajit was in a far more jovial mood.
 


Then the practice match started . Du , Mehraj , Bablade , Niyaj , Dulal on one side . Beto , Noel ,Jerry , Basu , Sunil on the other . Asst. Coach Satyajit Chatterjee joined the second group and proved hes still more of a player than a coach! His sly moves and silent passes are still a gem to watch ! The practice match was a fast paced one . Du , Noel , Beto ,Basu all were showcasing their skills and rookies like Manas Das and Niyaz Mohammed were no less . It was goal less till half time . Then Sunil , Jerry and Beto changed sides and almost immediatly , Sunil taped one in past Subrata Pal off a lovely curling pass by Jerry Zirasanga . It was nice to hear Du calling Subrata - " Ay , Mistu look here " [ Mistu is Subrata's pet name ] . Jerry himself scored the second goal off a Satyajit Chatterjee feed ! There was a moment of fun when Manitombi fouled Du , and Du shouted to catch the coach's attention . He lowered his shorts a bit and said : " Ay Sir  , look what he did to me " . Amal Dutta couldnot help but smile in silent laughter . Du mockingly warned Mani " Next time , I kill you ! " .... It was indeed a great joy for the 1000 odd fans to see the players enjoying themselves a lot !

 We ended our session at the club with a short joint interview of Amal Dutta conducted jointly by Star News and us . MBC.Com would like to thank Shreya Dhoundial , Senior News Correspondent - Star News for her cooperation.
       

. Mr. Dutta , what do you think of this team ?
 Oh , the team is good . The players are almost all high quality players . I am satisfied with all of my defenders . Although Du has to keep his cool a bit more and Bablade will have to be a bit more quick of the ball .

. What changes do you plan for the team ?
 Well , i cant bring major changes in just three four days . But i am trying to adjust the team in a new formation .And especially i am trying to remove the suppressed pressurized environment inside the camp .

. UB sponsors both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal , do you think there is any problem in it ?
Why , what is the problem ? The only knot is that you cant buy/sell one anothers players . Else its OK . Theres no problem of the field .

Thanks a lot Mr.Dutta and all the Best for the rest of the League .

 MohunBaganClub.com /Green & Maroon then presented a bouquet of flowers and a card to Mr. Amal Dutta wishing him all the best . The veteran coach was overwhelmed and promised us a detailed interview next week . [ Too bad that our camera battery had run out and we couldn't shoot this wonderful moment ! ]

We conclude that the introduction of Amal Dutta is a welcome change . A much needed change indeed . Now whether this change turn the fourtunes of the Mariners in the rest of the league is now to be seen .
[ 22nd March . 2004 ]