We won but it doesn't mean we are a top team, says Stephen Constantine

East Bengal defeated NorthEast United to earn their first win of the season.

Finally, the wait is over for East Bengal fans as they celebrate their first win of the season. East Bengal defeated NorthEast United FC in Guwahati to earn three crucial points. This win is of paramount importance to the club as the next game is the much-hyped Kolkata Derby, especially after ATK Mohun Bagan registered their first win in style against Kerala at Kochi. The win will definitely boost the morale of the club before the big game. East Bengal's head coach Stephen Constantine attended the press conference at the end of the game to express his views on the same.

Here are excerpts from the conference.

Coach's reaction to their first win of the season

The coach was visibly very happy to get their first win of the season. He did not hide his emotions in the presser and expressed how he felt. He said, "Look, I think a lot has been said about the first two games. We are still trying to find our rhythm and our balance. We played well for periods in the first game with Kerala. In the second half against Goa, I thought we played very well. Today, we started well and finished well. I am very proud of the boys for their good performance and for this good win. Now, with them (NorthEast United) out of the way, we can look toward our next game."

https://youtu.be/BU0u_1P1tKI

On conceding a late goal for a second consecutive game

Stephen Constantine looked a bit disappointed when asked about conceding a late goal in a second consecutive match. He admitted that it was a lapse of concentration on the part of his team. He said, "Look it was 3-0, everyone was tired, and the game was over (90 minutes were over). It was a silly lapse of concentration. It is a little blemish. If you ask, 3-0 is better than 3-1. But it is okay, I am not concerned about that."

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On East Bengal finally starting to play good football

When asked if this is the match from which East Bengal effectively entered their rebuilding process, the coach said that they have been doing that right from the first match. He said, "No, East Bengal started trying to play better football from the first game. We went to Kerala and for 70 minutes we were good enough to prevent them from scoring. We lost our shape and they scored. And again, with Goa, we were very good in the second half. We were not so good in the first half."

He continued, "It is a process. You don't produce winning teams in 2-5 games, it takes time. Many people are saying it is an excuse. No, it is not an excuse. It is a fact. Look all over the world and see how long it takes to build a team. We are doing that and it is a great win for us. Am I happy? Yes. Are we the finished article? No, absolutely not. There is plenty more to come and we will continue to improve."

On the effect of today's win on the upcoming derby

In his reply to a question enquiring how today's win will affect East Bengal's preparation for the upcoming derby, Stephen Constantine replied that it will definitely affect the team's morale in a positive way. He stated, "I am sure when you win a game, you feel better about yourself. We played well for long periods of time. The message is slowly but surely being understood. It (the upcoming match) is a derby. In those games, anything can happen. We look forward to it and we are more confident."

The tactician added, "We won a game today, that's what it is. It does not mean that we are a top team or we are going to be in the top six and beat everybody. It means we did our job today and earned all three points. I will enjoy tonight and from tomorrow we will start getting ready for the derby."

Views on NorthEast United

When asked to express his views on NorthEast United, Stephen Constantine sympathised with the team as they are also going through a process of rebuilding. He said that Marco Balbul (NorthEast United coach) has a very difficult job and they need to work more. He said, "When I saw them play their first game against Bengaluru, I thought they absolutely deserved a draw. They played well and they are hard-working. They also have issues rebuilding and are in the same process. Marco has a very tough job."

He further stated, "I think Marco and his boys gave a good account of themselves (today). They were a little bit unlucky to concede at the beginning of the first half and at the beginning of the second half. Those are always bad times to concede because then after that you are playing catch up. Right to the end, they were still going forward and were still trying to play attacking football. They got their goal. But obviously, they have some work to do."