East Bengal fans don't want Stephen Constantine anymore

The Red & Golds lost their seventh game of the ISL 2022-23 season on Friday.

It's less than six months at the helm for Stephen Constantine and East Bengal fans have already started questioning his signing. On Friday, the club lost 3-0 to Mumbai City, a result which didn’t shock the fans, but signs of frustration were evident as they left the stadium criticizing the 60-year-old.

A 3-0 thumping to Mumbai City wasn’t the reason for the muffled anger. Rather, it was a collective response from the style of play and results the team has garnered over the last three-odd months. As the team conceded their third goal of the evening, fans started bantering the Englishman. “Go back, Constantine” was the slogan used by them, something Kolkata Maidan is accustomed to. Moreover, this wasn’t the first time the phrase was used. Previously, during the Chennaiyin FC game, fans had showed the same frustration!

Every East Bengal fan only has one question in mind, “Why is the team winning away games and not home games?” Well, certainly the results at home have affected the crowd, with the fanfare against Mumbai City not even adding up to 10,000.

Fans speak out

Having lost seven of their 10 games, the East Bengal mastermind must surely be under tremendous pressure. Rumours related to his sacking have also been flowing on social media.

But will sacking Stephen Constantine help East Bengal? Season ticket holder Sabyasachi Chakraborty says, “The problems are deep rooted in the management, you can't expect a team to be at the top of the table when you set out in the market to get players in August. Having said that, given the resources at helm, someone with a better tactical ability would have utilised the said resources in a better way.

“We all can see this team look clueless once they concede and have not won a single point from trailing positions. Clearly, Constantine is found out tactically and only defeated three teams that are below East Bengal in the league table. We would again want someone not as a stopgap but with a vision who can build a project with a foreseeable success in near future,” he adds.

What type of a coach do East Bengal need?

East Bengal, with respect to the players they have in their ammunition, should hire a tactician who is well accustomed to nurturing young talents. Sumanta Sengupta, a member of the club, says, “The team is going through a transition period. The team's budget is not like ATKMB or MCFC. But Hyderabad doesn't have a high budget either. Then how are they doing well? Because of the coach's vision. We have a good talented team. We need a coach who can amalgamate junior and experienced players together."

He adds, “Stephen Constantine's strategy is too predictable for a layman as well. Same tactics in every game, same formation as well - 4-4-2. The team needs a coach who can nurture the players and build a united group and ingrain a fighting spirit. Under Constantine, East Bengal seem to suffer from a dilemma ( of what to do?). The players the club has have the potential to perform well. But it's not happening due to Stephen Constantine.”

Proper vision needed

Dipayan Dey, a member of both East Bengal club and Uttarpara Netaji Brigade, a reputed academy in West Bengal which has yielded players like Subrata Paul, Saumik Dey and Debjit Majumder, says, “A coach is responsible for the level of play of his or her team, and in order to properly communicate football tactics and techniques, he or she must master them himself or herself. Certain players will find it difficult to respect a trainer who doesn't try to set up a certain system of play or who has a hard time grasping the differences between tactical formations.

“This type of deep understanding will allow a coach to make good decisions during the game. Making adjustments to his/her team based on their opponent, or making the right substitution at the right time, can totally change the direction of a match,” he adds.

Being a good tactician also involves the element of versatility. Dey, who attends almost every East Bengal game, opines, “Everyone has got an inclination as to which playing positions they prefer, and coaches are no different. Some coaches will tend to focus on the defensive side, others will prefer to lay strength on the midfield, and others still will focus on the attacking play. However, to be a cut across the rest, coaches will need to understand the various plays and know how to coach from every angle. Moreover, as a coach, they should be able to quickly change a formation. For instance, he/she can begin by attacking, and when he/she have gotten the number of goals he/she prefer, then he/she can switch into defensive play.”

All that the East Bengal fans demand are consistency and results, which under the tutelage of Stephen Constantine seem difficult to gain. Now the question is, will the club and the mentor mend the situation soon and bring back glory? Or will the officials seek a different way out of this mess? Time will answer!