“The team played as one, and the foreign strikers played their part. David Booth, with his experience, has also played a brilliant role,” he adds.

Facing Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Mahindra United and defending champions Dempo in your first four games cannot be a very good proposition for any team, and definitely not for one making its debut. “I was horrified when I read the fixtures list. But the good thing about this is that we can raise our standards very early on and set the right tempo for ourselves,” says Menezes.

Mahindra United coach Derrick Pereira is also full of praise for the babes of the I-League this season. “It is a great sign for Indian football that a professional setup like Mumbai FC is achieving success so early. It is a fantastic beginning for them,” he says.

But all the sweet nothings will surely go out of the window when Mumbai FC face Mahindra United in the city’s first local derby this season on October 11.