Mohun Bagan Super Giant are looking to be aggressive and will rely on their attacking instincts in their quest for success this season. Importantly, Mohun Bagan head coach Jose Molina and their “hungrier” Australian World Cupper Jamie Maclaren are on the same page regarding this attacking philosophy.

“Of course, we want to attack and be aggressive on the field. But this time, we want to be the team that likes to dominate,” Molina, also a former sporting director of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, said on Tuesday.

“Everybody wants to beat Mohun Bagan now, so we have to be ready for that. We have to give that extra effort for every game as that’s what it is about Mohun Bagan.”

Coaching in Calcutta isn’t new to Molina as he was at the helm of ATK when they won their second ISL crown in 2016. In his comeback to the city, the Spaniard should be able to work with greater confidence, especially with the World Cuppers in his team —Maclaren (Jason Cummings and Dimitri Petratos being the other two), who echoed Molina’s preferred style of football.

“As a striker, if you know you’re going to play attacking football, then chances will come your way. That leads to wins, which leads to trophies,” Maclaren, who turned 31 on Monday, stated. “I’m hungrier now than I was five years ago. So yeah, I’m hungry to compete and after the welcome I had in Calcutta from the fans, there’s more fire in my belly.”

Stance on Anwar

Whether defender Anwar Ali will have to continue playing for Bagan is set to be decided at the AIFF players’ status committee, which will meet on August 2. The club though will not be reacting to any provocation on the matter, Bagan owner and chairman of RPSG Group Sanjiv Goenka said.

“Our experience with Anwar through the last season was that he was an outstanding team man, a great player, a great athlete and a very sweet kid... But I’m not going to share the club’s stand, particularly when the matter is placed on the players’ status committee.

“It’s for them to take a call... We are Mohun Bagan. We are dignified, we are decent and we do not react to provocation,” Goenka said.