Arunava about Football A look at football & the world through my eyes!
Related Articles
After conceding a defeat in their season opener against Odisha FC, Jamshedpur FC head coach Aidy Boothroyd talks about the support of the resilient fans despite the circumstances, thoughts about the result and the upcoming fixture against the Islanders.
Reason for Jamshedpur FC losing despite a perfect start.
First of all, the effort of the ground staff to get the game on was massive. So, well done to them as they did their bit. The supporters staying in through the rain was fantastic. I thought that was really very good. So they did their part as well. But unfortunately, after a brilliant start, I thought we were excellent for the first 20 minutes but after that, we hit a brick wall and made some bad decisions in possession, I think that always happens when your team is new and you trying to rebuild something. We will recover, we will bounce back. Everyone is very disappointed. But that’s just how the sport is, you hate football when you lose that way but you have to get on with it.
After taking a two-goal lead, did the team go into a defensive mode?
I don’t think so. I thought we didn’t make a good decision in our passing. We gave the ball back to them very easily. We have to stop making unforced errors by playing together and working together. We need to iron them out on the training pitch and see if we can keep possession better.
Update on Ritwik Das’ injury
I think he was outstanding. Probably our best-attacking player and a really good influential player on the top end. On the injury, I will not say anything about the opponent. You have to take this on the chin when we lose in this manner. I am looking for the positives and the positives are players like Ritwik who were excellent.
Is the team under pressure after having losing at home
We are not under any pressure. The only pressure that we face is the pressure we put on ourselves on a daily basis to be a really good team. There was always going to be a changeover from a team that wins. So being the defending team, it’s up to us now to get close to that or go beyond. That’s what we have to try every single day. While it’s disappointing, you can use nights like these and results like these in a positive way and focus on the next game. We have to give a good account of ourselves.
Thought behind the team being more defensive in the final few minutes of the match
I think it’s human nature to protect what you have. It’s certainly not a tactic. As we were trying to shore up at the back, we were trying to get counter-attacks with Len Doungel and Ritwik and hold up the ball with Harry (Sawyer) and Chima in the beginning. So that was the plan, to not just soak up and counter-attack but to also have a threat. It’s because we gave the ball away in the end, and we got ourselves into difficult situations.
Lesson to take away from this defeat
I think looking at the whole event, the weather, the supporters, and this being our first home, I think 1-2 of our players were over-aroused. We started very well but then we seemed to drop off rather than pick it up. I do think that we should have had a penalty which was quite disappointing to not be awarded. But we are a new team, so we will keep learning from our mistakes, get a few knockbacks along the way and focus on the positives.
What is your take on the fans?
They were simply fantastic and the support that they showered us with was amazing. Even after we lost, our supporters clapped us off the pitch which is a sign of real, true supporters. That makes the result feel even worse. People have come and it’s a really good crowd and we have to make sure we make them fall in love with the team and the game.
Is it added pressure to the team to have such loyal fans
It doesn’t worry me and I think people should be happy that we have fans who are ready to stick around through thick and thin in any sort of weather. I think we gave them something to cheer on in the first half and in the second half we didn’t. But there are lessons to be learnt here and when I go through the match again then we’ll come up with a plan for sure. So we will come back and focus even more on getting some points in.
Thoughts on the next game against Mumbai City FC
The next game is going to be tough but there are no free lunches in this league. Every game is going to be a difficult one, particularly against Mumbai City FC in our next game. But that’s what we’re in it for. We’re going to settle down now, focus on the errors we made and then get ready with a game plan to go and aim to get a good result against the Islanders. That’s the plan.
