MB have the scheme of playing Kean Lewis. Though this is a forced step because of injuries, Kean deserves to get into the team on merit. Prabir Das I think still will be on the injury list.
Don't think Bagan is focussed on AFC. Should Bagan win against Tampines (whom them beat as recently as on Jan this year by 3-1 in the AFC Champions League), they would qualify for QFs, which is scheduled around September. Now Bagan won't be having a team then as most of their players have signed for ISL and Bagan would get into contract with their chosen players who would be loaned out to Bagan by the respective ISL franchise clubs, post ISL. So essentially there wont be any Bagan Team during the quarters of AFC and therefore even if they qualify by defeating Tampines, they wont be able to field a side! Therefore its clear that Bagan's campaign for the year is as good as over - and most definitely a successful one in terms of a consistency ( I-League runners, Fed Cup Champions and Group Topper in AFC).
Sure, money is a constraint, however Bagan should have had a more professional approach and actually aimed to play atleast SF in AFC; one has to think beyond the Indian shores and a good show in the Asian Stage might have given them some fillip for roping in some sponsors which they badly need.
I agree..surely Sony could have been persuaded to stay on for a couple of days.....MB will probably have to field an U-19 in quarters thanks to the domestic calendar.
Hopefully this performance will give a filip to admins to fix the clubs revenue streams and think big
MB have too many problems to focus on AFC Cup matches -- finances, domestic schedule, robbing of Home Ground, future existence and so on. Moreover, MB with and without Sony Norde are markedly different (without being disrespectful of the camaraderie and team spirit). But he cannot be 'persuaded' to stay back for the match, his association would suspend him in that scenario. If at all, MB should talk to the Haitian FA for this, which is a long order.
MB will go down in all probability. But I would like them to win this time just to highlight the utter confusion and mismanagement that is Indian football under PP.
Clearly, if a club is unable to rope in a sponsor, its not AIFF's problem. Sure AIFF is run by people who certainly doesn't know how to promote a game - but thats taken!
Bagan, on the other hand has always been plagued by controversy related to sponsorship row/its tiff with AIFF etc., b'cos they r also run by people who obviously won't change their Jurassic age thought process of how to run a business professionally and thereby make money thru a whole lotta things. If u want to make revenues, u cant run the club in the same way u have run it for the past 127 years. "Supporter based club" theory is fine, but then one should not be cribbing of money being an issue, if u r not running a system professionally. Amongst all clubs playing in the top tier I-League, Bagan has the biggest fan base and it would be foolhardy to assume that none of the corporate (not even bigwigs) who targets this target audience would be averse to invest in it, unless there is genuine concern.
@Deb_Ban Absolutely right you are. With problems here there everywhere...it is a miracle that the team performed so brilliantly thus far in the season. Hats off to the players, coaching staff & a few of the Officials (Tutu Bose especially, Debasish & Srinjoy). Now tomorrow we have a weakened squad (Sony - National duty, Katsumi - injury, Preetam - injury). To add to the problem... Prabir twisted his ankle at home on the morning of the Salgaocar match on 5th. April & had a minor operation......so he is also out of contention. We have to fight with whatever we have & fortunately we have a Coach who never cries about injury or cites playing reserve team for a loss. So we can expect the team to fight....though the end result may not be what we hoped for. Even if we lose tomorrow.....I will still stand up & applaud the team for the wonderful performance they presented all through except that deadly fortnight from 26 Mar to 9 April.
Comments
Sure, money is a constraint, however Bagan should have had a more professional approach and actually aimed to play atleast SF in AFC; one has to think beyond the Indian shores and a good show in the Asian Stage might have given them some fillip for roping in some sponsors which they badly need.
MB will go down in all probability. But I would like them to win this time just to highlight the utter confusion and mismanagement that is Indian football under PP.
Bagan, on the other hand has always been plagued by controversy related to sponsorship row/its tiff with AIFF etc., b'cos they r also run by people who obviously won't change their Jurassic age thought process of how to run a business professionally and thereby make money thru a whole lotta things. If u want to make revenues, u cant run the club in the same way u have run it for the past 127 years. "Supporter based club" theory is fine, but then one should not be cribbing of money being an issue, if u r not running a system professionally. Amongst all clubs playing in the top tier I-League, Bagan has the biggest fan base and it would be foolhardy to assume that none of the corporate (not even bigwigs) who targets this target audience would be averse to invest in it, unless there is genuine concern.
Absolutely right you are. With problems here there everywhere...it is a miracle that the team performed so brilliantly thus far in the season. Hats off to the players, coaching staff & a few of the Officials (Tutu Bose especially, Debasish & Srinjoy).
Now tomorrow we have a weakened squad (Sony - National duty, Katsumi - injury, Preetam - injury). To add to the problem... Prabir twisted his ankle at home on the morning of the Salgaocar match on 5th. April & had a minor operation......so he is also out of contention. We have to fight with whatever we have & fortunately we have a Coach who never cries about injury or cites playing reserve team for a loss. So we can expect the team to fight....though the end result may not be what we hoped for.
Even if we lose tomorrow.....I will still stand up & applaud the team for the wonderful performance they presented all through except that deadly fortnight from 26 Mar to 9 April.