I'm sure Jamshedpur FC will miss Greg Stewart, asserts Des Buckingham

The Mumbai City head coach also spoke about the need for defensive solidity.

Mumbai City will take on Jamshedpur FC at their den on Saturday. Both sides will be eager to bag three points from this fixture. Mumbai City head coach Des Buckingham has acknowledged that Jamshedpur FC will miss the services of Golden Ball winner Greg Stewart.

The tactician, however, asserted that the incumbent League Winners’ shield holders have a strong squad and an equally good coach in Aidy Boothroyd this season. The Englishman reiterated on the importance of defensive solidity in the Islanders’ quest towards success this year.

Here is what the head coach and winger Bipin Singh said in the pre-match press conference.

On week-long gap between two games

Mumbai has had a good week-long break between their two league games and Des Buckingham believes that it will help the team present a better brand of football to their supporters.

“I think it is great. We played last weekend and we play tomorrow. We have got six days between games whereas last year it was two if not three days."

He continued, "We have fans in the stadium. The extra time allows players to rest and recover. It allows us time on the training field to review, to plan and prepare for games. That coupled with the fact that players should be fitter and fresher because of that and should be better prepared for games. I think when the fans come in they will see a better quality product week in week out because of the time that we now get.”

Need for defensive solidity

Des Buckingham explained that retaining the core group of players from the previous year has helped them get greater solidity and consistency in their backline this time around. “We have been able to retain a core group of our players that understand how we want to play,” he quipped.

Buckingham mentioned that going into a shell after taking a lead is not a style of football that his team subscribes to. The 37-year-old further explained, “Depending on how we want to approach each game, whether we want to have more attackers on the field or we want to take a more defence-minded approach, we can take the approach. Even at 1-0, you look at the changes that we made...at 1-0, we brought (Jorge Pereyra) Diaz on, we brought young Vikram (Partap Singh) on. Even at 1-0, we weren't defensive. That's not our brand of football, that's not our style. We wanted to go in for a second or a third. But we also want to be successful this year and we don't want to let in many goals.”

The former Melbourne City FC boss drew a lot of assurance from the team’s two outings last week. “So, last week was pleasing...not only to come away with two (goals) but also to secure ourselves after the first game against a very good Hyderabad team. To nullify Odisha, a very good team with some good players, the way our backline certainly did with Phurba our goalkeeper, it was very pleasing. It's important now that we continue that to tomorrow and the rest of the season if we want to achieve what we do,” Buckingham opened up on the issue.

On Greg Stewart and Jamshedpur FC

Mumbai managed to pull off a major coup in the transfer market by signing English forward Greg Stewart from Jamshedpur FC. With 10 goals and assists each, the 32-year-old pioneered the Men of Steel to the coveted League Winners’ Shield last year. Des Buckingham addressed that the Scottish attacker will be missed by Jamshedpur but he heaped immense praise on the opponents and their new boss Aidy Boothroyd as well.

“I think in our first three fixtures we have played Hyderabad, the champions, and then Jamshedpur, the league winners. In our first three fixtures, there have been some tough opponents for us. They have gone through a change. To be able to secure the services of Greg, as one of the four foreign recruits is great for us and I think it's wonderful for the league to be able to retain him within the Indian Super League (ISL). But they have replaced very well. They have got a new coach. I have watched Aidy Boothroyd,” Buckingham elaborated.

He added, “With his teams and especially the England teams, he has had wonderful success and he has had a wonderful career. So, how he sets his team up and the players that they have brought in...I am sure that they will miss Greg but I am sure they have spent the off season and the last nine days to prepare for this game.”

“With the quality of the coach and the players that they have replaced and have been able to retain as well...I think they have retained the majority of the squad from the last year with two or three (exceptions). It will be a very tough challenge for us but one that we will be ready for,” the tactician further opened up on the topic.

Bipin Singh on becoming Mumbai City FC’s highest goal-scorer

After scoring a late goal against Odisha FC, Bipin Singh became the highest goal-scorer (15) in the history of Mumbai City. “It feels good to hear that and it motivates me further. We have only started now and we will continue to work harder,” Bipin expressed his happiness on this feat, albeit in very few words.