Karim is the right choice for Bagan

Just four days before Santosh Kashyap resigned as Mohun Bagan coach, I had mentioned that the club may dump him. But Kashyap made Anjan Mitra’s job easier by tendering his resignation after his team’s 1-2 loss to Prayag United last Friday. That he would go became clear after the debacle in Federation Cup and, now the defeats in their first two I-League games reinforced the belief that Kashyap definitely wasn’t the coach to would pull Bagan out of trouble.

Interestingly, Kashyap became the club’s 39th coach in the last 25 years who has either resigned or been sacked by Bagan.

What’s really ailing Bagan? Despite spending crores, the club has been struggling in the new season. But the debacle has something to do with their officials, who clearly lacks management skills. Emotions run high in the Calcutta clubs, particularly in Bagan and East Bengal. It wasn’t surprising to see Bagan fans vent their anger outside the Salt Lake Stadium as if their world has been turned upside down.

While East Bengal’s management has been more stable, Bagan’s is a tattered lot. They invariably make the same mistakes over and over again when it comes to players and coach selection.

As I had said earlier, Kashyap was never a good choice for Bagan, even though he helped Air India stave off relegation last season. Managing a popular fan-based club like Bagan needs some experience and responsibility, which Kashyap lacked. While much of the blame has been heaped on him, one should also ask the officials on what logic Kashyap was made Bagan coach.

In the past, Bagan have been trained by seasoned coaches like Amal Dutta and PK Banerjee – two prominent names in Indian football. Dutta and Banerjee were synonymous with a rivalry rarely seen in club coaching. Both were seniors and commanded huge respect from the clubs and fans.

In a nutshell, both of them efficiently handled both Bagan and East Bengal whenever they took charge. After Kashyap’s resignation, Bagan is in a precarious position. Both Banerjee and Dutta have retired already. Syed Nayeemuddin, another experienced coach who also knows the pulse of Bagan, is not a popular choice as the veteran Hyderabadi has long been dumped by all the Indian clubs. So, the club must look beyond Bengal, and fall back on someone who knows the pressures of handling Bagan, as well as instill confidence in them.

Despite having two expensive footballers among their ranks, Bagan clearly lacks any competitive aggression and mental strength. Their alarming slump has put their loyal fans in a spot of bother, with Bagan set to play Air India in Pune on October 28. They have to make a clean break from their recent defeats, and there is nobody better equipped to pull together the fractured parts and regain all the lost goodwill than their former coach Karim Bencharifa, who is currently guiding the Salgaocar ship.