Pictures BS News Agency.
BS News Agency: Mohun Bagan Super Giant drew 1-1 against North East United in the last group league match at home in the IFA Shield. At the press conference after the match, the question was put to the green and maroon coach Panos, don't you think that you will suffer from the disease of missing goal opportunities? Panos's answer was, 'As long as the goal opportunities are being created, I don't see any reason to worry. Footballers have scored a lot of goals in practice. Once the match starts scoring goals, it will not stop.' Despite Panos's words, Mohun Bagan could not score a goal in the scheduled time against Punjab FC in the Shield semi-final. The match was won in a tiebreaker. Even then, Panos's determination did not waver. After defeating East Bengal in the Shield final with Zelkovic's goal, the Bagan coach probably felt that his warship had run aground. But that was not the case, as evidenced by Mohun Bagan's first match in the ISL.
Mohun Bagan Super Giants won the tiebreaker against North East in the semi-finals of the Durand Cup in Shillong, even in adverse conditions. Mohun Bagan started their ISL campaign by losing 0-1 to North East on Monday at the Guwahati ground. Jitin MS scored the winning goal for Pedro Benali's team in the 92nd minute. He came on as a substitute in the second half and changed the fate of the match. Earlier, the Bagan army lost to Chennai FC in the first match of the 2022-23 ISL season at Yuva Bharati. This time, the loss to North East is a big blow to Mohun Bagan.
If they go into the match with the pride of being 2-1 ahead in the Kolkata derby with East Bengal, the green maroons may have to face more setbacks like this. Mohun Bagan coach Panos has a bunch of famous footballers in his hands. But Panos could not organize the team from the beginning of the season. The biggest thing is that there is no consistency in the team's performance. Earlier, coach Ferrando had sunk the team due to not being able to handle the star footballers. His job went to the middle of the ISL. Habas came and took over the team. However, at the end of the season, Molina was given the responsibility of Bagan coach in place of Habas. He set a precedent by winning the League Shield and the Cup. But he too did not become permanent due to the team management's anger. He was fired in the middle of the next season. Sergio Lobera was appointed as the coach. He could not bring success to the team in the short-term ISL despite having good footballers. They became runners-up. In the new season, i.e. for the 2026-27 season, Bagan team management brought Panos as coach. But does he have the ability to coach a heavyweight team like Mohun Bagan? It doesn't seem like he has. It is doubtful whether Panos understands that coaching in the pressure-free environment of Punjab FC and fulfilling the expectations of countless members and supporters of Mohun Bagan are not the same, even though he says so.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant coach Panos, in a way of explaining after the loss to North East due to Jitin's goal, said, 'The main reason for the loss was the waste of countless goal opportunities. The footballers got so many opportunities, which cannot be counted on the hands. This is football. At the end of the day, the result is the real thing, that is, scoring goals. No one cares how many goals we got. Good play too. Moreover, Mohun Bagan is unlucky. Our footballer's shot hit the post and went out, and at the beginning of the added time of the second half, North East's Moana's shot hit the hand of goalkeeper Vishal Keith and hit the crosspiece, and Jitin sent it into the goal. This is what is called a forehead.’
It was Lee Erwin’s shot at the beginning of the match and Suhel Butt’s attempt at Liston’s cross in the 87th minute was blocked by the crosspiece. But this cannot be the reason for the defeat, no matter what Bagan coach Panos explains. The fact is that Mohun Bagan is in a situation where more stars are gathered and more monks are wasted. Although this is the first match of the ISL, there are many matches left, but I can’t help but say one thing, if Mohun Bagan footballers cannot correct their habit of conceding goals, and at the same time maintain a solid defense until the final whistle of the match, then Mohun Bagan will have a lot of sorrow on their foreheads, as well as coach Panos. The team management will once again walk the path of changing the coach, as they have done in the past seasons.