With Hero Indian Super League 2016 less than thirty days away, all eight sides are making last minute touch-ups to their squad before the new season gets underway. NorthEast United FC, who did the majority of their transfer business early and added Ivory Coast’s most-capped player Didier Zokora last month, will be looking for much-improved display from their Hero ISL 2014 and Hero ISL 2015 showing - when they finished eighth and fifth respectively.However, Bollywood superstar and NorthEast United FC owner John Abraham is very upbeat about his team’s chances of lifting the coveted trophy come December this year. The appointment of Nelo Vingada as head coach and the influx of promising young domestic talent has added to the feel good factor in the Highlanders camp. Abraham recently spoke to indiansuperleague.com regarding his side’s chances of winning the league amongst other things ahead of the new season.When asked for his thoughts on how his side was coming along with less than a month to go, Abraham said: “The pre-season is happening in Dubai. I spoke to my coach, Nelo Vingada, who’s very happy with how the squad is shaping up. We are waiting on a couple of players to come back from their national duties. We are also waiting for two more international players. We hope that all goes well for us, as we are a strong, young and tough team.”He also expressed his delight when talking about Guwahati being handed the opportunity of hosting the opening ceremony this season. “I want to thank Mrs Ambani personally, the Reliance team, Star Sports and IMG for really taking the initiative to move to a place where we believe is the future of the country, not only in football but economically as well. Having the opening ceremony in the north-east is a very smart and sensible option.“For us, it is a matter of pride. Historically and geographically, the north-east has always been ignored compared to the rest of India. It’s important to get them into the mainstream and that’s what we are doing. The biggest brand in the north-east, in all the eight states, is a club called NorthEast United FC, and thankfully we are a part of the club,” said Abraham.Abraham was brutally honest when assessing his side’s preparations for the new campaign. “Well, we were a mess in Hero ISL 2014. My partners said that they understood football and I left it to them. I took some amount of control in Hero ISL 2015 and, unfortunately, we just missed the semis. In Hero ISL 2016, we hope to go one step further and at least make the semis, if not win it,” he said.Abraham also offered an insight into the brand of football that fans can expect from the Highlanders this year under the tutelage of Vingada. “Nelo wants to play attacking football. He wants to score more goals and concede more goals. It’s very simple. He wants to make the game of football very attractive for the audience and that’s exactly what we want to do. NorthEast United FC have always had a very attractive squad where we play attractive football and that’s how we want to play our game,” he said.As far as the target for the upcoming season is concerned, Abraham kept his response short, sweet and succinct. “We want to win. That’s it,” he concluded.NorthEast United FC kick-start the new season on October 1 when they play hosts to Kerala Blasters FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati.
