India’s premier football tournament will make a comeback to the city for the first time since the 2010-11 season as debutants Minerva Punjab FC gears up to host mighty East Bengal in the I-League here tomorrow.
Manager Trevor Morgan and Robin Singh attended the pre-match press conference on behalf of the away side while head coach Surinder Singh and Manandeep Singh represented the host.
Surinder said that it was unfortunate that they are without a win from four games.
“We are taking only the positives from our previous games and stepping into tomorrow’s home game and we’re playing to win three points.”
Manandeep Singh said that Minerva Punjab FC is looking to win three points since it is at the bottom of the table and is eager to taste its first victory.
Surinder confirmed that his side is fully fit and ready for the game.
The good news is that Technical Director Colm Toal has taken charge of the squad and his inputs shall benefit immensely a team short of confidence.
On the other hand, Morgan has guided East Bengal to two away victories this season. It is coming on the back of a fantastic win over reigning champion Bengaluru FC.
When asked about the league, Morgan said, “The I-League is tough and taxing, we’ve played across different surfaces, against different types of opposition and it’s been a lot of travelling around.”
When asked about their journey to Ludhiana after a huge away game, Morgan commented, “We had a good win against a good side. We have to prepare for a hard game against Minerva Punjab FC. We don’t want to be at end of upset here in Punjab.’
The English coach will be pleased to see Robin Singh get back to scoring ways in its last outing.
Robin stated, “I’ve just put the ball at the back of the net. It’s done and dusted already and tomorrow is a new game. It’s not an easy game tomorrow and we’ll play to win it.”
When asked about the ground conditions, Robin claimed that he had no complaints on the ground, but it can definitely be kept better.
Mehtab Hossain is back to his vintage best while Ivan Bukenya has been a rock for the Red and Gold brigade in defence. In the absence of Arnab Mondal, Anwar Ali and Gurwinder Singh have deputised and while both haven’t been at their best, it’s fair to state that the Kolkata outfit haven’t really been tested in that department.
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