Stephen Constantine reveals why Aniket Jadhav was sent to reserves side

The head coach also said that the fans might witness their first win soon.

East Bengal and NorthEast United FC are set to meet at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Thursday. Both the teams had a poor start to the season with back-to-back losses and will be eyeing at least their first point of the season from the match. Before leaving for Guwahati, East Bengal head coach Stephen Constantine attended a press conference in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Here are some excerpts from what he said at the press conference.

Constantine on East Bengal's performance so far

In reply to the presser's first question enquiring about how he sees East Bengal's performance in the first two matches, Stephen Constantine said that the team is on the right path and is improving gradually. He stated, "We had some moments in the first game against Kerala. We kept them at bay for 72 minutes. In the second game, we were much better. In the second half, we dominated. We need to put two halves together.

He added, "We have played well in parts but now we need to be consistent. We are starting to find the rhythm. I see this in training also. In the last couple of days, we worked very hard. Hopefully, on Thursday, we will get a positive result."

On how the team is approaching the NEUFC match

Constantine stated that East Bengal is aiming a positive result at Guwahati. He said that they have taken into account NorthEast's personnel and have prepared keeping that in mind. He asserted, "We take this team as a special case. Every team is different and has different individuals. We prepared for NorthEast in the same way as we prepared for Kerala and FC Goa. Obviously, they have different personnel and we will adapt to the same and look to get a positive result."

On how he is approaching the upcoming Kolkata Derby

When asked about his thoughts about the Kolkata Derby which is around the corner, Constantine said that their focus now is solely on the match against NorthEast United. He said, "We are not thinking about the derby. We are playing NorthEast in two days, why would I be thinking about the derby? In all games that we will play, whether it is NorthEast or ATK Mohun Bagan, there is pressure. This is the nature of the business - all the games have pressure. Of course, we have not had the best start that we would like. But, we are not thinking about Mohun Bagan at the moment."

On inspiring the players for the NEUFC game

On being asked how he is able to inspire his team after two back-to-back losses, Constantine said that they are focusing on the positives from each game. He further stated that they are trying to work on their mistakes and increase the team's consistency.

He commented, "If we played really badly in both games, I would be worried. But we haven't. We have shown some good moments. So, I am optimistic that we can play better and get the right result. You are not going to win all the games that you play. But in both games, we had some very good moments, particularly in the second half (against FC Goa). If we can produce that kind of play, good things are going to happen. We need to put those performances together."

Thoughts on NorthEast United

Stephen Constantine seemed very impressed with the manner NorthEast United played in their first two games, especially in the one against Bengaluru FC. He stated, "I watched them play Bengaluru in the first game and I thought they were extremely unlucky to not get at least a point. They worked very hard off the ball. It would not be an easy game. There are no easy games in this league. You can see from the results that we have seen. We will be disciplined, aggressive, and will try to win the game. That's how we are going to get three points."

On his strategies for the next match

When asked in what manner East Bengal is going to play against NorthEast, Constantine asserted that they are going to play their natural attacking style of football. He said, "My football is always attacking. We did not play with nine men back in defence against Kerala and I did not do the same against FC Goa. I want to attack all the time. If you have seen my teams over the past 10-15 years, you will see that we create a lot of chances. We are fast and aggressive. But, it does not happen overnight. We saw a little bit of it with Kerala and a little bit more with Goa. The next day, we are gonna see a bit more against NorthEast. Hopefully, we will continue to build on such performances."

On the future of reserve side players

Stephen Constantine informed that there is a very good possibility of reserves-side footballers whose performances are good to get featured in the senior squad. Talking about Jesin TK's performance in the CFL match against Aryan FC, he said, "That's a question that we will have to see at some point. He (Jesin) needs to train with us to see how he adapts. It (Jesin's goal against Aryan FC) was a tap-in goal that he did not actually create. He was in the right position so you'll have to give him credit for being in the right position. We will see. We will probably have a look at him."

Updates on Alex Lima, Eliandro and Aniket Jadhav

Constantine gave updates about Lima, Eliandro, and Aniket in the press conference. He said that all of them are unavailable for the next game, with Lima having a slight possibility of being in the matchday squad. This is what he said about Lima, "Lima is doubtful to start the game. He trained today for the first time (after East Bengal's match with FC Goa). For precautionary reasons, we are not 100 percent sure whether he will start or even play in the game."

The tactician spoke about Eliandro's injury, "Eliandro took a knock last week during training. It aggravated and I do not think he would be available for this game."

Stephen Constantine briefly explained the status of Aniket Jadhav and why was he playing with the reserves. He said, "He is not available for the next match. He has not been banished to the reserves as some people think. Aniket has to understand the way we are trying to play. He played for so many years on the right side and was coming in to shoot with his left. I bet if you count how many goals he has scored with his left, it is less than three.

He added, "We play in a slightly different manner. I want the right-midfield player to be right-footed, go past his man, and cross. Aniket can do that, but he needs to be consistent. The problem is without the ball. What he is doing without the ball. So, I put him in the reserve team to get some games, where he can play 90 minute games, and build his confidence up. I went to see him play the other day and I think most of you saw him play. He is not banished there for doing something wrong. He is there to get games."

On the purpose behind first-squad players playing with the reserve side

Stephen Constantine reiterated that underperforming first-squad players are playing for the reserves side (in CFL matches) to get game time and build their confidence. He explained this approach by following up on the question about Aniket Jadhav's status, who has not featured in the matchday squads so far.

He said, "It is not punishment. They need 90 minute games. The reserves are an opportunity for them (first-squad players not getting a start) to get 90 minutes in a competitive game. Aniket is there to get games to gain his confidence. All the other players also go there. Just today Semboi was there. It is not that he is not in the team or that he is being penalised for doing anything wrong. He has just not played enough and has not performed (optimally) when he did get the opportunity. Giving him the chance to go and train with the reserves and get game time is the whole objective of that."

Coach's message to East Bengal away fans who are travelling to Guwahati

East Bengal coach said that he expects East Bengal supporters to be everywhere, whether home or away. He also assured that the fans will not have to wait much longer for their first win. He quoted, "When you are the coach of East Bengal, you expect the Bengalis to be there wherever you are. If you go to Brazil tomorrow, they will be there. If you go to England, they will be there. They are everywhere. We need them to come and support us, home or away. Hopefully, they will not have to wait too much longer for the first win."