A win against arch-rivals Mohun Bagan is perhaps more important for East Bengal than anything else. There can be no other explanation for them to continue with Subhas Bhowmick as coach for the next season despite the team struggling for results only just staving off relegation. Bhowmick’s only worthwhile achievement for the year was victory against Bagan in the I-League second leg. This season, EB have given Bhowmick carte-blanche in picking players, finalising their contracts and working out strategies. Bhowmick handpicked the foreign recruits, had a three-week residential camp at Puri and went to Myanmar to play practice matches in the lead-up to the IFA Shield.

When the tournament began, the red-and-golds lost their opening match to Tata Football Academy, losing 3-1. Next game, they conceded four more against Chirag United. But Bhowmick has found a surprising supporter in Stanley Rozario, the man he replaced last year.

“A couple of losses don’t mean they are a bad team. It would be injustice to make him the scapegoat. I would like to see the management keeping faith in him,” Rozario, who is now in charge of newly-promoted Lajong FC, told The Indian Express. “There is huge pressure on Bhowmick to deliver. He has complete command, which is not common in Kolkata football. But East Bengal is too good a side to fail consistently,” Rozario said.

As for himself, he doesn’t blame anyone. “East Bengal’s offer had provided me with a great opportunity. My relationship with the players was based on mutual respect. (But) I don’t want Bhowmick to suffer my fate,” Rozario said. The executive committee of the club including president Pranab Dasgupta and football secretary Santosh Bhattacharya met in an emergency meeting this evening and formed a core committee that will sit with Bhowmick on Tuesday.