We have to sometimes defend deep to get results, says Aidy Boothroyd

The tactician also heaped praise on the Jamshedpur FC fans.

Jamshedpur FC secured a 1-0 win over NorthEast United in the 2022-23 season of the Indian Super League at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Sunday. Aidy Boothroyd's side had to hold on to their slender lead for the three points as the Highlanders tried their best to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat but to no avail. 

Peter Hartley scored the solitary goal in the first half. He was the difference maker between the two teams and the skipper was one of the best performers in the JFC line-up. Aidy Boothroyd, head coach of JFC, finally got his first win of the season and hopes that more will follow.

He took part in the post-match media interaction and answered several questions. Here's what he said.

Thoughts on the game

Aidy Boothroyd gave his analysis of the game and felt that the team has made a respectable start to the campaign. He said, “I thought it was a great contest, it was a physical contest. For us, it is a good win because it means that we have had three games, four points and that is a respectable start, particularly against two teams that we have played and are up at the top of the division.” 

“In terms of this game, we knew it was going to be difficult. They changed their system to playing a 5-4-1 which is very difficult to break down. I thought we squashed any real efforts and we deserved the win,” he further added.

Also Read:

• Jamshedpur FC beat NorthEast United to earn first win of the season
• Ratings: Peter Hartley shines as Jamshedpur FC beat NEUFC

Need to defend to grind out results

The head coach believes that the team needed to defend better in order to secure three points. In this context, he said, “Defending deep sometimes is what we have to do to get the result that we need. The majority of the time, we want to play on the front foot and in the opponent's half. 

“After Odisha, it was important that we tightened up. We played really well to get two ahead, the game should have been over so that is our fault. Tonight was all about making sure we win…and still have got a lot of work to do. We are all very happy tonight, especially for our supporters. Thank you for coming out to cheer us,” the tactician added, thanking the fans and praising his team’s mentality.

Morale in the dressing room

While talking about the mood after the win, Aidy Boothroyd said that the team is still a work in progress and the morale was high due to winning.

“We went and said thank you to our supporters, that was the most important thing we did when we did the victory lap. The players are very buoyant and we are building momentum, building belief and I am asking them to do some things differently. It is a different team from last year and it is going to take time. We are a work in progress. The players are happy with the win and for me, it means we can push on and try to win the next games.”