East Bengal coach Subhas Bhowmick put in his papers on Monday, bringing his dismal tenure with the Kolkata club to a premature end. The resignation came a day after Mohun Bagan trounced East Bengal 5-3 in their I-League encounter in Kolkata on Sunday.

In his letter to East Bengal club president Pranab Dasgupta, Bhowmick took ‘moral responsibility’ for the team’s failures in all the three key tournaments this year. East Bengal have had a horror run in the IFA Shield, Durand Cup, and now in the I-League, in which they have logged just two points so far from four outings. Bhowmick had earlier admitted at Sunday’s post-match press conference that he needed to quit.

As East Bengal officials held meetings all day long to decide on a replacement, assistant coach Tushar Rakshit and Bhaichung Bhutia were named to take interim charge of the team.

No consensus on a permanent replacement was reached, however, and the discussions will continue on Tuesday. Serbian Djoran Djordjejevic and Argentina’s Rudolpho Zapatta are said to be the frontrunners.

“Despite detailed meetings, no decision could be arrived at. The name of Syed Nayeemuddin also came up, but a section of the club was against the idea. So, there will another meeting tomorrow to decide on a course of action. We are targetting finding a replacement before East Bengal’s next I-League match against Salgaocar Sports Club on October 29,” a club official said.