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After suffering a loss in the season opener, Aidy Boothroyd and forward Boris Singh share about Jamshedpur FC’s preparations in their 10-day break for their next game against Mumbai City FC, their approach for the competitive season ahead, and much more.
Here are the excerpts from the pre-match press conference…
How have you utilized the 10-day break to gear up for the game against Mumbai City FC?
Aidy: Well, when you get a result as we did in our first game, where you do really well and then end up losing 2-3 in the last minute is the worst. The 10-day gap might also act as a drawback because what we want to do is to play games back-to-back. So during our ten-day layoff, we sulked a little but we took care of our wounds and then we used it purposefully. We’ve done a couple of extra sessions that we might not have done before, just to work on certain aspects. But we are really fidgety and want to play. This gives us a great opportunity to come here and play with one of the best teams. Obviously, a couple of years ago they were double winners, so we’re excited about facing them. We just want to get going and get in the rhythm of playing.
Does the fact that Jamshedpur is being underestimated at the moment motivate you?
Aidy: Well, I think we’re asked to be celebrated for the fact that we’re the club that won the League Winner’s Shield and I think that’s very important to do that. I think it’s a different team now. We’ve managed to keep most of the core members, there are a couple of little tweaks in there and obviously, Greg, who was our top player in the last season, left a big position open when he moved to a different team. But what this means is that it leaves a place open for somebody else to be the top player here.
So we are what we are. We’re a team that’s not quite brand new, but certainly not old either. And we will do our best to make make a good game out of tomorrow, which I’m sure will be a very good game.
How do you approach the challenge of fans having higher expectations with the team this season while it’s not the same squad as last year?
Aidy: When you come in as a Head coach, usually the club is in a disarray and it’s near the bottom of the table or not performing well. So to pick a team or get picked by a club that is on top of the league and has won the championship, there is a different expectations from the supporters, the media and the club. So after the new additions came into the club, the dressing room took them in seamlessly. It’s a very good group of guys that work very hard and will be a different team to the one last year. I don’t mean to say we’ll be better or worse, but it was a really good job done in the last season. So, I’m looking forward to having a long and hopefully prosperous time together with the club.
What will be a major change in the defensive approach of the team, after the last game’s result?
Aidy: First of all, we were all very irritated and annoyed. I mean, we lost the game through unforced errors, by mistakes that really we shouldn’t have let happen. I was in that position once and when you go 2-0 up, you have to win the game. Unfortunately, I think there’s a lot of emotion surrounding the fixture. The club went through all sorts of hard work getting the stadium ready to welcome the fans back after 2 years, on time. The supporters waited outside in the rainy weather. We had a sudden thunderstorm, and we had puddles on the pitch, but the supporters stayed outside the gates waiting, came in and supported us really well. So I think there was a lot of emotion from our players too, and obviously, we made a great start with 2 goals. But I think sometimes drawbacks are needed to get you going stronger again. We were very disappointed coming off at the end of the game, but we’ve used that to focus really strongly on the upcoming one.
How did you use your 10-day break to analyse other teams and plan accordingly to face them?
Aidy: It has allowed us to have a look at every team’s strengths and weaknesses for sure. But I think the frustration from us was to get going with our fixtures and get the rhythm because it takes two or three games to really settle in. We’ve played our first game, waited and we just can’t wait to get started tomorrow night.
What is your assessment of the other teams of the league who have found success in the games that they’ve played till now?
Aidy: I think supporters make a huge difference and I think it’s a great advert for the Hero ISL as well as plenty of goals have been scored so far. Even we want to get ourselves in that position. We’ve seen every other team play, but it’s never like you can have the plan to face them because it’s never the same until you actually face your opponent in the pitch out there. So we know that they’re a good team with a good head coach, and it’ll be a difficult game for us for sure. But these are the games you want to play as going against such strong opponents brings out the best. And that’s what I hope will happen tomorrow.
How has the club’s culture, atmosphere and people around moulded your career’s progress?
Boris: I am very lucky that Jamshedpur FC signed me. The former Head Coach put a lot of faith in me and helped me grow. At the same time, the club has also brought in young talents from the TFA as well. So I am so happy and Jamshedpur FC loves to bring in young players like me, like Farukh who also joined the club when he was young. So I am very fortunate to be playing for this club who has helped me grow and I hope to see more young talents like me play for the club in the future.
Has the Gaffer put more emphasis on you to score goals this season despite you being a winger?
Boris: For a forward player, it’s very important to score goals and to give assists so that the team wins. Obviously, the team cannot defend for the entire game. So, the forwards need to do their job as well. It is very important for a forward to score and help the team. At the same time, it also gives me confidence when I score and it also brings us closer to winning all the 3 points.
What are the things that you’ve told your goal-scoring forwards to do differently this season?
Aidy: I don’t think I’ve told them to do a lot differently. Boris, Ritwik, Farukh and others have been fantastic for us and I think they’ve got a very bright future ahead of them. They’ve got a very big heart as they’re ready to give their 100% for the team at all times. Our lads are just so keen and want to win at all costs. They all have a lot of talent which they will use to create as well as score goals. So we’re very lucky to have them in our squad.
