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After two disastrous seasons in the Indian Super League (ISL), this has been a period of rebuilding for East Bengal. However, the Red and Gold Brigade are still far from where they would envision being in the country's footballing food chain.
The Kolkata giants are in the eighth position with three wins and six losses. But compared to their previous spells in the ISL, they have shown a truckload of resilience under head coach Stephen Constantine.
Their captain Ivan Gonzalez asserted in an interaction with the club's media team that East Bengal will continue to improve "gradually" as the season progresses. The Spanish defender stated:
"My experience with East Bengal has been quite good so far. Of course, we want better results, but this is a new project with new players, new staff, and a new investor in Emami. We are gradually improving and will get much better by the end of the season."
The 32-year-old was a mainstay in FC Goa's defense after signing for the club in 2020. He played 36 matches over the last two seasons and was a vital cog in the Gaurs' backline. But in the summer of 2022, he switched camps to join East Bengal.
Although his start to life in Kolkata wasn't the most inspiring, Gonzalez has been steadily bagging some quality performances under his belt. The Real Madrid graduate has also donned the armband for the age-old club.
Asked about the honor of captaining the Red and Gold Brigade, Gonzalez averred:
"For me, captaincy is all about leading by example. If you do well yourself, you inspire others to perform better. I want to help my teammates as much as I can. For example, I really appreciate the fact that my fellow center-back Nunga (Lalchungnunga) listens to my feedback. This quality will help him go a long way."
"If we can beat them once, we can do it again" - East Bengal's Ivan Gonzalez looking back at the win over Mumbai City FC in Durand Cup for motivation
East Bengal's only victories this season have come against teams who are below them in the points table - NorthEast United FC, Jamshedpur FC, and Bengaluru FC.
Against the sides higher up the table, the Torchbearers have struggled to stitch together a complete performance.
However, Gonzalez stressed that East Bengal not focusing on the previous results, saying:
"We are taking one game at a time and going step-by-step. Despite winning convincingly against Jamshedpur FC, we went into the Hyderabad match with a fresh mindset.
"Similarly, we've forgotten the loss against Hyderabad and are now focusing on the Mumbai game. We know they score a lot of goals. That said, it's a new game and a new challenge for us."
East Bengal will next lock horns with Mumbai City FC, who they defeated 4-3 in the Durand Cup in September. The Spanish defender insisted that the positive result will boost his side's confidence ahead of Friday's (December 16) clash. Gonzalez averred:
"The Durand Cup win over Mumbai will give us confidence. We defeated them within a few days of arriving in Kolkata. If we can beat them once, we can do it again. We'll surely carry that confidence into Friday's match."
However, since the Durand Cup clash, a lot has changed, especially for the Islanders. Mumbai City, who are currently second in the standings, are the only unbeaten team in the league so far.
With 27 goals in just nine matches, Des Buckingham's side are the most relentless attacking unit at the moment. Gonzalez and East Bengal will have their task cut out on Friday.
