Kolkata, Sept 23 (Representative) East Bengal FC head coach Carles Cuadrat urged his players to work hard to turn the momentum in their favour as they suffered another defeat in the Indian Super League (ISL) against Kerala Blasters FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here. The Red and Gold Brigade broke the deadlock first with Vishnu PV’s goal but failed to maintain their lead as Kerala Blasters FC’s star forward Noah Sadaoui scored the equalizer within four minutes, bringing his team back into the game. Ghanaian forward Kwamie Peprah netted the winner coming off the bench in the dying minutes of the second half, registering the first ISL win for Mikael Stahre’s men. After losing to the Blues, the Red and Gold Brigade suffered another defeat against the Yellow Army, resulting in back-to-back losses in the opening fixtures, leaving them without a single point in the ISL 2024-25 season. With this, Cuadrat has lost the first two games of an ISL season for the very first time.East Bengal FC enjoyed more ball possession and attempted more shots on target. Despite creating numerous offensive moves from both flanks, Cuadrat’s men failed to secure a win as they conceded twice after taking a 1-0 lead.
The Spaniard wants his players to rectify their mistakes in training to put an end to their winless phase. “We have to keep working. The team is giving their best. Football is a game of moments. At the moment we can take more advantage of the chances; we will get success directly. We have to understand that these things happen in football in the last moments. In the Indian Super League, we’re watching a lot of things happening after the 85th minute. And this time, it was against us,”he said in the post-match press conference. “Sometimes, it goes in our favour; this time it wasn’t our opportunity to get the second goal. But we have to work. I think these players need to understand what we need. We played some moments of good football. And it has to be the base to build up for the season,” he added.Despite possessing a formidable squad, the Kolkata giants were unable to fully showcase their potential in the matches. When quizzed about the shortcomings that were preventing his team from achieving results, Cuadrat remarked, “It’s clear that the team is under construction. It’s just the first game for Anwar Ali and the second game for Hector Yuste. We have had a long pre-season; it’s not real because we don’t have these players to work with them because they were in different situations.” “Unfortunately, we have not got any points in the first two games, but I’m sure that they are going to give us many special things that are coming now,” he continued.
The East Bengal FC head coach also expressed his dissatisfaction with his players’ inability to capitalize on their chances. Throughout the opening hour, the Red and Gold Brigade created aflurry of attacking moves, but a lack of precision in the final third cost them three points in Kochi. “Of course, we have been working a lot on that (converting chances). We have been training a lot of days on how to make the right pass and right finishings. It’s a question of quality, technique, and the good decision at the right moment. And we’re working on that. I’m sure that the guys are going to improve with training,” Cuadrat stated. “Having been here for the last two seasons and before with Bengaluru FC, I know the standards of Indian footballers. They are very excited, but sometimes the basics are not there. So, you have to teach them to play with the basics and how to improve on the things that can make a difference inthe match. It’s my job, and I’m doing,” he shared before signing off.