India’s Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on December 15 (ANI)
As Odisha FC takes on ATK Mohun Bagan in matchweek 11 of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season on Thursday at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, head coach Josep Gombau has urged his players to concentrate on the minute details that will help them win.
The Kalinga Warriors are the only team in the league to have won all four of their home games this season, making them a strong candidate to make the playoffs for the first time in the club’s history.
According to a statement that was made public by the ISL website
Gombau anticipates that the Kolkata team will play a tough game and wants his team to show the same character as they did in their previous match against FC Goa in order to win the game and maintain their home record.
As he attended the official pre-match press conference alongside forward Jerry Mawihmingthanga prior to the ATK Mohun Bagan match, the Spaniard also provided fresh updates on Saul Crespo’s injury, the chances of his team reaching the top six, and a lot more.
While acknowledging that ATK Mohun Bagan are a tough opponent
The head coach expressed confidence in the team’s players and stated that they will enter the game with the goal of winning.We definitely play each game separately, and on Thursday, we have a game that is very important. We take on ATK Mohun Bagan, a formidable opponent, at home. We performed quite well in Goa last week, but we didn’t win.
Despite the fact that we were 10 men and it was challenging for us, I am extremely pleased with the team’s performance, approach, and play, even with 10 men. Gombau stated, “We go to the game on Thursday with this aim and character and try to get a positive result here at home.”
He talked about Saul Crespo and gave an update on Nandhakumar Sekar
who has been ruled out of the game against ATK Mohun Bagan.We can utilise a variety of players and options for his position. We are working, we are training, and we are contemplating the player who will take Nandha’s place.
However, this is something that, naturally, people will see on Thursday. Against FC Goa, Saul sustained a minor injury. The head coach stated, “We are checking to see if he can be available and whether he can help us win this game.”
He said of the young player Isak Vanlalruatfela Isak, “He is a young and talented player who we see having a bright future.” when referring to Isak. I like him a lot as a player and believe he has a lot of potential.
He talked to us about two personal reasons why he needs to stay at home for a while to (solve) some problems his family is having right now. We obtained permission from the league so that he can resolve the issue immediately and return to begin training with us.
The lead trainer offered his viewpoints on getting back to his home ground to play the critical match against ATK Mohun Bagan and said that little subtleties will determine the end result of the match.
I believe it will be as challenging and difficult as the other ISL games. We are putting in a lot of effort and will try to play well. We will, without a doubt, endeavour to control the minor details that typically determine the game, but there is more to it than that. Take, for instance, our match against FC Goa last week; the match was fairly even throughout the first half, and we controlled the game.
The game changed when we were reduced to 10 men
Gombau stated, I expect games like these where small details can alter the outcome, and I hope that more of these details come from our side as it has in a lot of games, and we win the game through a small difference.