Des Buckingham rues missed chances in draw against 10-man ATK Mohun Bagan

The Mumbai City FC head coach also addressed Chhangte's disappointment on being substituted.

Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham rued at his side’s inability to finish off their chances in the aftermath of their 2-2 draw against ATK Mohun Bagan.

Lallianzuala Chhangte and Rosytn Griffiths bagged a goal each for the home side. However, ATKMB responded with two strikes in the second-half, the last of which was scored by substitute Carl McHugh in the 89th minute. Here are the excerpts from Des Buckingham’s post-match media interaction.

Overall assessment of the game

The tactician asserted that his team fared well throughout the course of the game. He regretted the fact that they didn’t seal the game by taking their chances early on but sounded positive regarding their overall performance against ATKMB.

“I think we were very good throughout the game. I don't think that we took the chances that we should have taken. We created enough chances to win more than one game tonight. We hit the crossbar three times, hit the post towards the end there. There are a number of other times that we could have and should have probably scored,” Buckingham mentioned.

He added, “We could have put ourselves in a comfortable position at half-time, which makes the second half easier. But we continued to try and play that way we know in the second half. The problem in football, whether against 10 men or 11, is that the opposition will get chances.”

“Unfortunately for us tonight, that was in the 89th minute through a free-kick. We need to make sure that when we create chances, we put the game to bed earlier, to make it easier for ourselves. Then make sure that we do defend right till the end,” he reflected upon the final minutes of the proceedings.

Allowing ATKMB to come back into the game

Mumbai City started the game on an assertive note but ATKMB managed to equalize twice in the second half. Des Buckingham conceded that they cannot maintain control over the proceedings throughout 90 minutes. However, he again regretted the late slip-up that robbed Mumbai City off two points from the game.

“In football, the momentum does swing and you have to try and capitalize when you have the momentum. There are times, you can't control the game for 90 minutes, as much as you would like to,” the head coach remarked.

He added, “The pleasing thing for me tonight is that I felt that we had the majority of that. But when we don't have that, we have to make sure that we are defensively well setup and sound and we were for the majority of the game, until the 89th minute when that free-kick, unfortunately, went in.”

Lallianzuala Chhangte’s angst at coming off

Chhangte lit up the night with a thunderbolt that reflected his imperious goal-scoring form. However, he was taken off after nearly an hour for Vikram Pratap Singh. The former Chennaiyin FC star was visibly disgruntled at the substitution and cut a very animated figure in the dugout for the rest of the game. Buckingham explained that it is very natural for a player to feel dismayed at being taken off in any match.

“I think players are unhappy when they don’t start and players don’t want to leave the field. Players want to play and that’s the reality of senior football,” the 37-year-old quipped with a smile.

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He added, “The beauty of this squad is that we have two players for every position, both fighting for space on the field. In the four games before this and certainly tonight, we need the full squad. We are not a team of individuals. And the players know that and people who are here represent that.”

“We don’t want him coming off and throwing things. But I will be disappointed if he comes off and he is happy about it. So, the good thing is that we have got competition in our squad which gives us problems, but also gives us competition and hopefully allows us to finish games as strong as we start,” Buckingham asserted.

In-game tactical changes

Sanjeev Stalin was substituted at half-time as the ATKMB duo of Manvir Singh and Hugo Boumous coupled up to pile pressure on the youngster on the left flank. Similarly, wingers Chhangte and Bipin Singh switched flanks for a brief period of time in certain phases of the game. Buckingham was probed whether these small tweaks were compelled by the pressure that ATKMB piled up on them during the match.

“We took Sanjeev off. He has been playing very well in the last couple of games but again he is another young player. I have worked with a lot of young players over my last 21 years of coaching and when they do well, sometimes, you just need to manage them,” the head coach remarked.

He added, “I felt that ATK Mohun Bagan were really targeting our left-hand side in that first half. So we put in a bit more experience there with Mandar. I was happy with how he came on and did there.

Regarding the wingers, he mentioned, “Bipin, Chhangte and Vikram, we have got three players for two positions. Mixing both positions on opposite sides, keeps the defenders guessing. They have the freedom to do that if they want.”

“It’s just the case of if they have struggled to get past the defender for some reason, go and have a go on the other side. Because the defenders in this league do know each other very well. Without giving too much away, sometimes they can read what is going to happen. So by playing on the other side, see if you can get a bit more success,” Des Buckingham signed off.