Jamil gets down to business straightaway at East Bengal

KOLKATA: Khalid Jamil had a "whole new experience" as around 300 fans cheered from the stands, some of them beating dhols and others chanting the name of the new coach at the East Bengal ground on Monday.
Jamil, for his part, made it abundantly clear that he meant business from the word go as East Bengal coach. As he engaged the players in a 11-vs-11 match situation and followed it with a penalty shootout session, old-timers and club officials struggled to remember the last time a coach had followed such a routine on Day I of a pre-season.
Having guided Aizawl FC to the I-League summit against all odds two months ago, Jamil is aware that the expectations would be sky-high to help his new club to its maiden success in the country's premier club competition.
"I've taken up a challenge and it's my duty to live up to it. I want my players to get off the blocks from the first match of the season," Jamil said after the training session.
A total of 25 players - including captain Arnab Mondal and senior pros Mohammad Rafique and Cavin Lobo - attended the opening session, monitored by Brazilian physical trainer Garcia who switched allegiance from Mohun Bagan. Last season's captain Gurwinder and goalkeeper Luis Barreto are expected to join later in the week.
According to Jamil, all three foreigners - Syrian playmaker Mahmoud al Amna and Trinidadian duo Willis Plaza and Carlyle Mitchell - would join the side 'only after July 25.' "I can't control the uncontrollable," was all that he would say of the foreign trio's late arrival.
A call on a residential camp in Kalyani would be taken after a few days' training. What he was certain about was the enormity of the task at hand. In the long run, he would be judged by the team's result in I-League, but Khalid prefers going about his job by looking at the short-term goal.
And his immediate goals are roping in another goalkeeper and finalizing a goalkeeping coach. He also wants to create a large pool of players, fearing that many may get injured while playing during the rainy season in their CFL Premier Division title defence.
So how was his first day in office at East Bengal?
"The fans, of course, was a whole new experience. But I want them to keep supporting the team in such passionate way throughout the season," he signed off.