'Players are human beings!' - Antonio Habas demands better scheduling going forward

Mohun Bagan boss Antonio Habas also spoke highly of youngster Dippendu Biswas.

Mohun Bagan will aims to maintain their impressive start to the Antonio Habas era when they host a rejuvenated NorthEast United side at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Saturday. After picking up a big win over FC Goa that catapulted them back into the Indian Super League (ISL) Shield race, the Mariners are high on confidence.

Habas aware of NorthEast United challenge

Antonio Habas is aware of the threat that this NorthEast United side, which recently defeated East Bengal, possess. He said: “I like NorthEast. They have a good coach. He changed the formations of his team and they can play seamlessly with different systems. They make it difficult for opponents to counter-attack and have had a good result in the last match. They will be a difficult opponent to play against.”

Praise for Dippendu Biswas

The Spaniard also had praise for young defender Dippendu Biswas, who impressed in the recent win over Goa and predicted him to have a bright career ahead. He mentioned: “In training, I saw that his condition was really good. From the first day, I talked with my staff about the possibility of playing young players. We are very happy with him. He’s a talented young player who has a long career in front of him, and someone who can play with the senior team. And now that he has an experienced player like Hector (Yuste) there with him, to guide him is important for his development too.”

Habas annoyed with ISL schedule

Antonio Habas also went on a rant about the bizarre schedule for Mohun Bagan in February, with the Mariners having to play their third game in a week in the upcoming game against the Highlanders. He explained: “We have the same target, which is to get the three points. Sometimes it’s possible but other times it’s not because the opponent also plays to win. We have to recover from the last match, because we are playing after three days. We had to travel to Goa for the match in humid conditions a few days ago and now we have to play again tomorrow. That doesn’t make any sense. I don’t understand it.

“We have to think about the players. I feel that the ISL have to analyze their schedule, because it’s the same condition for all clubs in the league. It’s like one club has a week to prepare for a match, while another club only has two days. This is impossible! This is impossible in the World Cup, the Champions League or in any competition in the world. You have to analyze the possibilities for the teams, it’s not logical that one team has a week and other has three days to prepare. We have to think more about the professionals. The players are human beings after all! I’m only a coach, not the ISL president. But in my opinion, they have to analyze the scheduling situation going forward,” he also added.

Reflections on FC Goa win

When asked about his thoughts on the FC Goa win and the positives he saw from that game, the Spaniard stated: “I’m very happy, mostly for my players. They have sacrificed a lot and are very good professionals. It was necessary for them to win, that has to be the mentality for everyone – not only in football but in life! You want to drive the players to win, because they are the anchor of the team and are the most important people in football.

 “We showed great intensity and a great desire to win, which is very important. The team wants to win the ISL Shield. We have to change the mentality that the game is more important than the overall situation of the competition. The players have to understand this. You have to be sensible in the match and show an apt attitude and discipline to win matches,” he claimed.

Joni Kauko’s condition and squad’s physical state

Finally, when questioned on the ability of Joni Kauko to play the full 90 minutes against NorthEast United and his team’s physical condition, Antonio Habas said: “Kauko is 100% fit. But he didn’t play for over 12 months. He is a professional player and with international experience. We have to try and recover from the last match. We did recovery sessions in the hotel in Goa and then had to travel.

“We didn’t have more days to recover, but I don’t want to make excuses for that. Tomorrow we will absolutely compete and now we need to look at which players can start and the best substitutions to use. We need to use the ability of the technical staff to use the substitutions smartly and balance the minutes for players in the match,” he finished with.

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