Kolkata: Home is where East Bengal FC are trying to find their heart as Carles Cuadrat’s struggling team gears up for FC Goa’s challenge at the Salt Lake Stadium on Friday.
Despite assembling a competitive squad, East Bengal started their ISL Season-11 campaign with back-to-back losses on the road, against Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters. Given that they have also lost the Durand Cup quarterfinal and AFC Champions League Two qualifier, thus extending their wretched run, Cuadrat is already feeling the heat.
East Bengal’s French playmaker Madih Talal , who joined the team from Punjab FC, gave his insight into their struggles: “There are a lot of new players. So we have to understand each other and this takes a lot of time. But I know in football we don’t have much time. We are playing at home and hopefully everything will be ok from this match.”
If East Bengal are seeking home comfort, Cuadrat may also have to plan his strategy without two influential foreigners. Spanish midfielder Saul Crespo is understood to have been diagnosed with dengue while Greek striker Dimitrios Diamantakos is carrying an injury.
“We have the full season ahead for us. We are in the process (of becoming a unit) and it takes time. The team management has brought some good players like Jeakson (Singh), Mahesh… They are all young players and future of the club,” Cuadrat said.
Like East Bengal, FC Goa too have had a stuttering start to the season, losing to Jamshedpur FC at home before snatching a point against Mohammedan Sporting with a stoppage-time equalizer.
“The players know that we could do better than what we have done in the last two games. Nobody is pointing fingers and it’s about taking responsibility. We are ready to show our potential,” Goa’s full-back Aakash Sangwan said.
East Bengal will find in visiting Armando Sadiku — who scored against Mohammedan SC a week ago — an old adversary when the Albanian striker played for Mohun Bagan SG last season.
It remains to be seen if Cuadrat persists with the Anwar Ali-Hector Yuste combo in the defence or pushes the Spanish centre-back up to pair with Jeakson as a defensive midfielder.
Win remains prerogative for both the teams but the onus is more on East Bengal, playing at home and seeking a change in fortunes.
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