BENGALURU: Challenge. It was one of the most used words when East Bengal head coach Robbie Fowler addressed a virtual media conference on Saturday. It is surely going to be testing for Fowler and his team in their Indian Super League debut season.
Most teams have started preparations and some of them have strengthened their squads, with domestic and foreign signings. Fowler was announced coach on Friday.
More than anything else, the biggest challenge could be staying in a bio-secure bubble, possibly for six months. Being away from loved ones for so long could be mentally challenging as well. One of the important job of the coaching staff, which also includes former India player Reneddy Singh, will be to keep the players in good mental space.
"I have no doubt that it (bio bubble) will be a challenge. For football in the world to get going again, in certain situations and circumstances, we need to adapt," said Fowler, who added that he will be in India 'pretty soon'.
"We have to create an environment, where a player enjoys…..We are also going to be sensible in our approach. The players need to know we are here to do a job. We will do everything to make the players comfortable as much as possible," added the 45-year-old Liverpool legend.
At East Bengal, one of the oldest and famous football clubs in India with a huge fan base, any coach will be under great expectations. Fowler, who has had managerial stints in Thailand and Australia, is someone who likes his team to play possession-based football. He is also aware of the importance of results.
However, one of his first objectives could be adding firepower to make his team competitive. He does not have much time, with the tournament scheduled to start next month. The players, who are already with the club, also need to adjust to his style of play.
"Most of the ISL teams have already started preparations. We are a bit late to this. We will demand that the team works very hard. We know it is going to be hard. Success for me is, let's be competitive, let's go out and match teams, let’s get the right result," he said.
The ISL is a big jump for players from I-League as the former comprises top-notch competitive teams with star domestic names and the former England striker maintained that all players will be treated equally, irrespective of stature.