NEUFC ready to take on Bengaluru FC tomorrow, says Alison Kharsyntiew
"Expectation from the team is high this season; we have to do well (in the competition). Tomorrow we need a good start and if we manage to get that, then it will be good for us throughout the tournament," said head coach Khalid Jamil.
SHILLONG:
NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) are ready for Bengaluru FC on November 20, said NEUFC assistant coach Alison Kharsyntiew during a virtual press conference ahead of their first match of the eight edition Indian Super League (ISL), on November 19.
The NorthEast United FC is taking on Bengaluru FC in the second match of the eighth edition of Indian Super League in GMC Athletic Stadium, Goa on Saturday at 7:30 pm.
"We have a very good squad comprising talented Indian and foreign players who are ready and focused. I am hundred per cent sure that these guys will give their best tomorrow. There are no injury concerns in the team for now and everyone is fit and ready for tomorrow's game," said Alison.
Encounters with Bengaluru FC have always been challenging for the Highlanders in the league stages and when asked how NEUFC is prepared this time around, the head coach Khalid Jamil said, "It is a big challenge for us, as we play tomorrow against a good team; they have quality players, so it is a big challenge. We’ll not take this match lightly. We need to focus and stay positive." He added that the focus of the team right now is to win the first match of the tournament. “And, if we play well, everything will be fine,” he said.
The expectations of the NEUFC fans would be high this season, given a magnificent performance in the last season. And Khalid is well aware of that fact.
“Expectation from the team is high this season; we have to do well (in the competition). Tomorrow we need a good start and if we manage to get that, then it will be good for us throughout the tournament. We have to be strong in defence and sharp in attack. We have to work harder than last year to become successful this season. Last season the credit for success goes to the players," said Khalid.
NEUFC head coach also asked the media not to put foreign and Indian coaches under the lenses of comparison. However, he also mentioned that given a chance, Indian coaches can also put-up good performances as far as managing an ISL team is concerned.
"Indian coaches can bring results in ISL. If you give more chances to Indian coaches, they can do well in any setup because they have the requisite experience of managing the players in competitive formats. However, there should not be any comparison regarding Indian or Foreign coaches because coaches are coaches, be it Indian or foreigner," concluded Khalid.
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