Ranjan Chowdhury is under fire. The questions are already being raised in the Kolkata football fraternity over the coach of the Bengal team in the Santosh Trophy this season where Bengal crashed out from its group league. 

Questions have been raised over the team selection where eight Bhawanipore FC footballers were selected for the Bengal’s final team. Incidentally, Chowdhury is also the coach of Bhawanipore FC. 

Chowdhury explains he did not have any alternative option than selecting eight Bhawanipore FC footballers with only three days’ training to develop the combination. Simultaneously, Chowdhury refutes allegations on his selection method revealing he has also taken the two in-form Kalighat MS footballers, Sayan Banerjee and Koustav Dutta and promising footballer like Sahil Harijon. 

Questions have come up that Chowdhury did not a positive left-back in the team. But the coach mentions Bikramjit Pradhan’s name replying to this question. Simultaneously, he regrets for not having a single footballer from Diamond Harbor FC this season.

Significantly, the Bengal team before their departure had a 10-day selection trial. Could not it be curtailed and the days of practice increased? Chowdhury explains it was not possible as the first list of 40 footballers out of 120 appeared for the selection trial was not an easy task. The 10-day selection trial was supposed to be held and that number of training days had to be curtailed. 

Additionally, according to the coach, the footballers were not mentally boosted due to the worst ground conditions and biased supervision of the matches where Bengal footballers were offered yellow cards at random even though they did not offer hard tackles to their opponents. 

The coach has statistics also. He explains Odisha had a 28-day preparatory camp. Delhi conducted a 21-day training camp while Punjab had 24-day preparation before their campaign in the Santosh Trophy group league. 

The coach under whose tutelage Bengal once finished as the runner-up believes the preparation should have started long back. 

The Bengal team's manager Rajib Bag has not yet submitted his report to the IFA. But he believes the boys most of whom were experienced lacked proper planning and preparation to deliver their best. Playing the long-ball strategy also did not click. 

Chowdhury also believes it would be difficult for any coach to guide the 32-time Santosh Trophy winner to bring a title in the future if preparatory time for such a prestigious competition becomes so less.