I-League: Bengaluru FC coach Ashley Westwood explains Sunil and Robin exclusion

Robin and Sunil were excluded from starting 11 yesterday

To everybody’s surprise, Bengaluru FC coach, Ashley Westwood excluded national team captain Sunil Chhetri and his strike partner Robin Singh from the starting 11 in the I-League opener against Mohun Bagan on Sunday.

Asked about the duo’s exclusion, Westwood said: “We got our systems. That is the way we play. I didn’t want to make any change. It works for us. The fittest players started.You can see that from our game. The fittest of the boys will be fielded.”

Chhetri and Robin missed club practice for more than a month. Sean Rooney was accustomed to the coach’s tactics and planning.

Overall, the club’s I-League debut was brilliant. They secured a point against one of the top sides of Indian football. The crowd turnout was also commendable. There were chants and cheers all around the stadium for the home team.

The coach further said: “It was great. They are one of those sides who can finish among the top four, they are a big side. For us to come and dominate them, shows how far we could go within a space of time. We started to look for players when most of the top players signed for other clubs. Basically we got the people whom nobody wanted, the misfits. We collected those and we would improve them to show that we can be one of the best teams in the League. Credit to all the staff.”

“It was fantastic”, he said on the crowd support. “I told the lads before the match that if you want those fans behind you, you have to win. We certainly appreciate their support. We need them behind us. We would not let them down.”