Bagan look to reverse luck

KOLKATA, November 29: Okay, Mohun Bagan lost to JCT in their opening match of the ONGC I-League. Their defence looked wobbly, the midfield was rudderless in the absence of a leader and their leading striker Jose Ramirez Barreto limped out shortly after the break with an injured foot. But all that is water under the bridge.
When they take the field on Thursday against Viva Kerala, they will once again start as favourites, for it will take a Herculean effort on the part of the I-League to do a JCT on the Kolkata League champions.
In hindsight, the 1-2 loss to JCT is just the kind of reality check the green-and-maroon brigade needed at the start of their I-League campaign to help them get back on track.
Bagan coach Carlos Roberto Perreria would be looking to plug the holes in defence and midfield to ensure that Baichung Bhutia does not go underfed up front.
It is not going to be easy for the veteran Brazilian with Deepak Mondal and NS Manju on long-term injured list and Barreto unavailable for at least. their next two matches. It will be a big test for veteran Brazilian midfielder Douglas da Silva, who was run ragged on Sunday by JCT Academy graduates Gurwinder Singh and Baljit Singh Sahni.
Perreira hinted that he may use the ageing Douglas in defence, especially as Viva Kerala's midfield, comprising of the likes of James Singh and Bimal Barua, does not hold out as big a threat as JCT's. It however, remains to be seen how Bagan's three-man defence - Douglas, Peter Odafe and Sanjeev Maria — holds up against the guile of Baba Thunde and Aby George.