ISL
After 9th-place finish in ISL, Stephen Constantine looks to Super Cup
The Super Cup is set to begin from 8th April, 2023.
Stephen Constantine (Source: Goal.com)
It was yet another dismal Indian Super League season for East Bengal as they closed the curtains on their 2022-23 campaign with a 0-2 derby loss against city neighbours ATK Mohun Bagan. Goals from Slavko Damjanovic and Dimitri Petratos made sure that the Red and Gold finished this season languising at 10th place.
"I don't think we had enough moments in the game, and didn't deserve to win it. But, I felt we were fortunate not to take a point from this game," East Bengal coach Stephen Constantine said post their Kolkata derby loss.
Despite coach Constantine's re-iterations on how this season had its high-points, the Englishman will have another opportunity to show his team's mettle quite the soon in the form of the Super Cup.
"We will go into the Super Cup with the squad we have, but I'd look at the last few games we played. We did really well in those. It'll be another good opportunity and at the end of the season, I'll know what kind of players we need to sign," the 60-year-old tactician said.
Time and again, Constantine has highlighted the importance of the amount of time needed ahead of a season to amply prepare for it.
"I learned that you got to prepare way before," he answered when asked what he'd learned from this ISL season.
"You can't start in August and expect to do anything. I have been trying to bring Indian players and identify foreigners since October. We need to be quick otherwise we will have to take players rejected by other clubs, or look in the I-league," he continued.
While making considerable changes to the squad seem unlikely right before the Super Cup, Constantine seems optimistic about the conversations he has said with certain unnamed players who seem to be keen on joining the Kolkata side.
"We can take players who haven't played with anyone else, make offers or agree contracts with players. We don't need to wait till the season finishes to do that. There are several players I've spoken to who are interested to come, who can make considerable differences in the team," he said.
The Super Cup is set to begin from 8th April, 2023.
