Mohun Bagan must build own style of play: coach Vicuna

Kolkata (IANS): Newly appointed Mohun Bagan head coach Kibu Vicuna wants to build a tactically strong team that can play attacking football and have their own identity.

In an interview to the club website, Spaniard Vicuna said he was eager to take a look at the young players at the club and build a team that could control the tempo of games but play free flowing football.

"We have to build a good team to get the best results. We are working on it. I would like to build a strong team tactically and also to have an offensive style, which will be able to control the tempo of the games," Vicuna said.

Talking about team formations, the 47-year-old stressed the need to have a blueprint of their own. "More than the shapes, we have to build our own style and model of play. I would like to have Mohun Bagan play good offensive football. This is our objective," said Vicuna who previously had a stint in the Poland First Division league 'Ekstraklasa'

Mohun Bagan finished a disappointing fifth in the 2018-19 season, 14 points behind champions Chennai City and have not won the league since 2014-15.

"First we have to train the team and know the players' abilities. Then, we have to meet with them to know their strengths and their weaknesses. I also like to train individually with players to help them improve their quality. I also want to have a look at the young players of the club," said Vicuna, a UEFA pro licence holder.

Mohun Bagan also appointed Tomasz Tchorz as assistant to Vicuna. The pair has worked together at Wisla Plock in Poland and Lithuanian side FK Trakai.

"The staff is very important. We have to work together and hard to get the best results. We have to work in coordinated manner. Second coach, assistant coach, physical coach and goalkeeper coach, we have a lot of work: improve our team, record the training sessions, give players video feedback, make analysis of our team matches, analysis of our opponents, improve tactically as a team, make the players improve individually," he said.

Mohun Bagan have also appointed Ranjan Chowdhury as Vicuna's other assistant coach.

Asked about selecting the Indian players, Vicuna said, "We are working with the club in order to get the better players. I am watching the games from last season. I gave the club my opinion about players and suggestions about what we need to improve. I also gave the names of some Indian players who play in other teams. Also, I want to see the young players of Mohun Bagan youth teams."

Mohun Bagan have also announced that they have retained eight players to be part of the squad in the 2019-20 season. They are goalkeeper Shankar Roy, defenders Arijit Bagui, Sukhdev Singh, Bikramjit Singh and Gurjinder Kumar, midfielders Shilton D'Silva and Britto PM and forward Azharuddin Mallick.

Vicuna's first challenge will be the Calcutta Football League where Mohun Bagan ended arch-rivals East Bengal's dominance to win the title after eight years. "We are going to prepare for Calcutta Football League as best as possible. We have to be ready to face everything. We are a professional team and we have to be prepared," he said.

On the age-old rivalry with East Bengal, the Spaniard said, "Yes, I heard about it. In Poland also I have seen the rivalry between Legia Waraw and Polonia Warszawa, Lech Poznan and Polonia Warszawa. In all countries, there are a lot of football rivalries."

Vicuna said he wanted to take up the challenge of coaching in India. "I read a lot about Indian football. Last season, there were a lot of Spanish players and coaches in this country. I had other possibilities, but I felt I had to take up this big challenge."