The Mohun Bagan coach himself says he wants to forget this match

XtraTime Newsdesk

Mohun Bagan produced such a disjointed performance on Monday that head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis, popularly known as Panos, admitted that the team would like to forget the match and move on as quickly as possible.

Why did Mohun Bagan struggle so badly? The coach explained, “I think our performance today was not good. Especially in the first half, we could not control the opposition’s possession. They were particularly good in the middle of the field. They created a lot of chances. We tried to implement a few tactical changes to help the team. A slight change in our formation gave us some advantage. However, we struggled to deal with the influence of Stojanov and Talal. During those 30 minutes, they had much more possession of the ball.

“I think the game became a little more balanced in the second half after Sahal came on. But there was still one problem, which we had discussed even two days ago. That is, making mistakes under no pressure. In other words, we have the ball at our feet, yet suddenly, without any apparent reason, we give it away. This happened with four or five players. At the end of the day, I think we should forget this match as quickly as possible and focus on the next one. Perhaps we earned the points today that we deserved against NorthEast United but failed to get.”

Is Mohun Bagan missing Miguel?

Asked whether the team was feeling Miguel’s absence, Panagiotis Dilmperis said, “Yes, absolutely. If you want to play in a 4-2-3-1 formation, you need a proper number 10. Unfortunately, Miguel was not in good form. However, you know that I trust Indian players. I have faith in Sahal. I was confident that he could change the course of the game after coming on.

“We did create a few chances as well. But we need to quickly rectify the unforced errors we are making while in possession. We also have problems with our transitions. After winning the ball, we suddenly play passes backwards. We are working in training to become more direct in attack immediately after regaining possession. Now, we need to adapt to that approach quickly.”

Are Samir Zeljkovic and Dražić good enough for a club like Mohun Bagan?

Panos was also asked whether Samir Zeljkovic and Dražić were good enough to play for a club of Mohun Bagan’s stature.

Explaining his position, the coach said, “Samir’s outstanding performances helped us win the IFA Shield. We must not forget that. He also made an impact in several matches during the Durand Cup. Apart from the final, whenever he played, he helped change the course of the game.

“The same applies to Dražić. There have been times when he has had to play for 90 minutes, and sometimes for 85 minutes. Particularly when we did not have enough players available in the squad, we had no opportunity to give him a rest.”

Overall, the frustration was evident. Panos himself appeared deeply disappointed with Mohun Bagan’s performance and was left wondering why his team had played such disjointed football.