This is one title which all coaches dream of winning for their team. But it was East Bengal coach Subhas Bhowmik who realised it on Friday — his maiden National Football League crown. The success placed the former India striker of the 70s alongside a select band of coaches that include Sukhwinder Singh (JCT), Shabir Ali (Salgaocar), Subrata Bhattacharya (Mohun Bagan) and Manoranjan Bhattacharjee (East Bengal). Bhowmik, in his second stint with the red and gold brigade, thus completed a penta that includes winning the Kolkata League, Independence Cup, Assam, Durand Cup, Delhi, IFA Shield, Kolkata. Elated by his ‘personal’ milestone, the soft-spoken Bhowmik, who guided East Bengal to their second NFL title — the first on home soil — spoke to Micky Aigner from Kolkata, shortly after their match against Vasco, Goa. Excerpts:Did you expect your team to win the title at the start of the league?One has to be open with the thought. My feeling was that all the five teams - Mohun Bagan, Churchill Brothers, Vasco SC, Mahindra United and Salgaocar — had an equal chance. What made it click for East Bengal this season?Selecting a team of my choice. I had always maintained that the team had to be made competitive — a mix of youth and experience — which meant fortifying the bench strength. The reason being each player realised that there was another equally talented player waiting if he did not give off his best.Did you face any pressure?Being the coach of either Mohun Bagan or East Bengal itself presents a pressure situation. Both are ‘‘the people’s club.’’ Like the supporters say, ‘‘its your duty, if not you get the kick.How would you define the overall success?Ninety per cent skill, 10 per cent luck. It is simple. Take the matches we lost to JCT and Mahindra United. We played our best in those matches. However, JCT with a half chance flattened us while Mahindras with three made the best use of those opportunities.Would you credit the title to any particular player?The team totally. I don’t like to single out a player for his brilliance or goof-ups. Football starts with one player and ends up with 11 doing the job for the team.Any forgettable moment?Yes, the year 1999 when I coached East Bengal. After beginning well we had a spate of injuries that resulted in a total failure that year. A weak bench strength compounded our woes.As coach do you set personal targets?Personal goals are not important when you are part and parcel of a team. A coach is as good as his team’s performance. Doing my bit is all that I am looking for. One has to believe in the team, results automatically follow.Who would you rate as the best team of the league?Salgaocar, undoubtedly. A compact unit and very talented. Vasco are not too far behind — very dangerous when they get going.
