By Nabarun Goswami
SHILLONG: A new season, new coach and with more than a couple of new players Shillong Lajong FC set forth to make a mark yet again at the national level with more pride at stake than ever.
Being the first Indian football club to attract foreign direct investment, after Dubai based corporate Anglian holdings bought stakes in it, and coming from a football-crazy state with debatably the largest fan following in the country, it is perhaps time Lajong delivers at the highest level to announce its dominance in Indian football alongside the mighty Goan teams.
Till now, the Reds have been considered an unpredictable side which could get the better of any Indian team on a given day. They were also termed by some as the next big thing in Indian football. However, the premier club of the northeast had to deal with its share of disappointments so much so that critics began to doubt the credibility of the side to truly shine at the national level any soon.
Though things have been pretty much on track for the new coach Desmond Bulpin, who took over the reins from Pradhyum Reddy, it is too early to predict the rise of Lajong.
The Shillong Times caught up with the SLFC coach on the eve of the team’s departure to Jamshedpur on Sunday to know his opinion on the team’s chances in the upcoming season.
Going into the season, what would be SLFC’s primary strength?
Self belief would be the key to our success. We would like to play fast, attacking and ‘positive football’. The increased fitness levels of the boys should work to our advantage. But most importantly, we need the supporters behind us. I believe this is the biggest club in India. Teams like Mohun Bagan get support only on matches against East Bengal. But we get big support every game. So ‘win or lose’ we request the fans to back us.
The team has a lot to again and at the same time a lot to lose. Is the pressure of expectations getting a bit too much to handle?
Our success against teams like Wellington Phoenix, though fantastic, creates its own problems. When we do well against good sides, people expect it all the time. All I can guarantee is that the performances would be workmanlike and we would do our best to rise up to the expectations. We also have a bunch of good players with as many as 4-5 good enough to play for India.
With Anglian Holdings buying stakes in the club, the budget has shot up. Do you see a direct impact of the same on the pitch?
The club management has been doing a good job in taking the budget up. But our budget does not come anywhere near to teams like Dempo and Mohun Bagan. Moreover, we are also putting in a good part of that (money) into the club’s Youth Academy. We are building a team here. We did sign a few new players including Friday Gbeneme who has been a good addition to the side and another Nigerian player (does not name him) will be formally inducted on Monday.
SLFC has on numerous occasions started well in tournaments but lost momentum towards the end. Do you think that could change for the better this season?
I would attribute the above to the numerous injury problems we have had in the past. With the team physio doing an excellent job and with the focus on increasing fitness, the players should get better as the season progresses.
SLFC could not beat a single Goan team last season. Should this be taken as a mental block towards teams from that state?
It is tough to beat the teams from Goa at their own backyard as the heat and pitch plays a big role in the outcome of the match. But we can beat anyone at home. They should be scared to come here as the temperature and ground suit us and most importantly we would have the supporters behind us.
What would be a realistic target to chase in the I-League this season?
We would be happy to be on the top half of the table. However, top six would be an ideal finish. The home games would be crucial for us to achieve that.
