It was painful to watch. Football of the very lowest standard, and to then think that these foreigners are being paid top dollar by East Bengal, you feel the fans have every right to feel helpless and upset with this 0-2 defeat against Kerala Blasters.
Except the late first-half opportunity, when an open net was missed after PV Vishnu’s shot hit the post, all of East Bengal just walked around the pitch in the second half. No attack, no pressure and no effort. This is not what the fans want to see. You can lose, but at least make an effort. Push the bar and give the supporters something to cheer about.
Oscar Bruzon is a good coach. The first thing he should ask the management to do is give him better foreigners. He can’t do much with rubbish and these players are nothing more than that. Richard Celis for example was unwatchable. Every shot of his went 20 feet over the cross bar and you were left thinking if a U-19 Indian player wouldn’t be better than this. At least a youngster would get the opportunity to play in a big tournament and learn from it.
Just a year earlier, East Bengal had won the Super Cup. And today, they played the worst football in months to get knocked out in the round of 16. The truth is East Bengal needs immediate course correction. More money, better players and a better team.
While the loyal fan base will always stay intact, at the moment they are being taken for granted. And not always will they accept it without speaking out. The writing is on the wall: the management needs to see it and act. And act fast.