KOLKATA: Mohun Bagan will hope that the loss against Churchill Brothers is water under the bridge when facing leaders Chennai City FC in 2018/19 I-League this Saturday evening. Kick-off at Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan is at 5 PM.
Mohun Bagan saw their unbeaten run cut short to four games when they were beaten 3-0 by Churchill last week.
Tactically Mariners looked poorer with defenders were exposed and looked incredibly vulnerable. There was no intensity in their play, they kept playing long balls, losing possession cheaply and failed to find the penetration needed to threaten the rival goal.
Despite his disappointment with the result Mohun Bagan coach Sankarlal Chakraborty remains confident that his team will bounce back from their poor performance.
“The previous game was an eye opener for the team. The players have put the disappointment behind and fully focused on the upcoming game against Chennai City.” Chakraborty said.
While Mohun Bagan look to redeem themselves after suffering their worst home defeat since 2008/09 season, Chakraborty knows it will not get any easier against Chennai City, who are on a 4-match winning streak, but he believes his side is more than capable of turning the corner.
“Chennai City will be very difficult opponents, they play a possession game and they hold the ball well. The key to the match will be the midfield, we need to win the ball in those areas. We have to put up some good work and make sure we take care of their strengths.” Chakraborty continued.
It’s a match Chakraborty will obviously be desperate to get a reaction from his men, but has admitted that he faces a tough task to lift the battered morale of his players.
“As a coach I understand that part of my job entails building character and asking how do we come back from setbacks. It’s never feels good when you lose a match, but we still have a lot of work to do.” Chakraborty said. “Even in the dressing room we are being realistic because there are still many matches to play and many points to play for.”
Meanwhile, Chennai City coach Akbar Nawas explained that Mohun Bagan will be eager to bounce back from their loss to Churchill and this will make things more difficult for his team.
“We need to respect that the match Mohun Bagan lost against Churchill aren’t a reflection of the quality they possess as a team,” Nawas said. “In football, some days are yours and others aren’t. It wasn’t their day.”
“I believe we will give a good account of ourselves even though we know that Mohun Bagan will be eager to bounce back. It is an opportunity for us to rise to the occasion,” he added.
