Juan Ferrando sheds light on ATKMB's injuries and new recruits

The ATK Mohun Bagan head coach also revealed why he didn't start Hugo Boumous.

ATK Mohun Bagan saw their winning run in the ISL 2022-23 come to an end, as they played out a 0-0 draw against Odisha FC at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on Thursday. Neither team was able to oust each other, with the hosts getting the better of the chances but being denied by the heroics of Vishal Kaith. ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Juan Ferrando attended the post-match press conference to share his views.

Here's what he said.

Ferrando cites injury issues for cagey result

Juan Ferrando cited ATKMB’s injury problems for their inability to get the better of Odisha on the day. He said: “The most difficult situation for us right now is our injuries. We have only three foreign players and four at max. We even have important injuries in local players. They’ve been out for a while like Manvir (Singh) and Engson (Singh). It’s difficult to prepare the team in training because it’s difficult when you have 10-12 players missing the sessions.

“But this isn’t an excuse. This is a part of football and our mentality is to get three points. I think in the first 45 minutes, Odisha were much better than us. In the second-half we tried to control the spaces but Odisha got a few clear-cut opportunities in transitions,” he added.

Reason behind Boumous’ absence from starting XI

When asked about why Hugo Boumous was benched for the game, he revealed:  “His injury (was the reason he didn’t start). He couldn’t move his shoulder properly. I tried helping the team in the last 10 minutes but it was a risk to play him because if his knock got aggravated, he would’ve been out for the rest of the season.

He added, "The same thing happened with Joni Kauko and Florentin Pogba, same with Manvir and Engson too. Maybe if he can continue in the same level, the coaching staff can pick him in the next match. This is the reason why we have many developed players in our squad, to deal with injuries.”

Ferrando explains depth of injury issues

Juan Ferrando also gave a broader explanation of how bad the Mariners’ injury problems are right now, speaking about how their problems can be resolved. He explained: “The only solution to this situation is to finish the injury problems in our squad. We have 27 players in our ISL squad and out of that, only 15 are fully fit. Just imagine that! We have four players with knee ligament injuries and two with ankle ligament injuries. Maybe they are all out for the rest of the season.

“Today in the field, we had three players with injuries. They aren’t ready to attack properly and put everything on the line because of that. For example, Fardin (Ali Molla) got injured in the first 45 minutes and then we brought on Kiyan (Nassiri) for him. Honestly, we played Odisha with just 7 players, the other players played with difficulties. Of course, this isn’t an excuse and Odisha were much better today. But in this case, it’s necessary to prepare the plans knowing our situation. We hope some players will be ready next week,” he added.

Thoughts on the result and post-match brawl

When asked about if he’s happy with going away from the Kalinga Stadium with a point, the Spaniard said:  “Of course not, because our mentality is to get three points. But in this situation, the team was fighting a lot. Of course, we are happy but not completely happy because like all the teams, we also want to get three points and win. But sometimes it’s necessary to find a balance in results.”

The ATKMB and Odisha players got involved in a heated brawl after the game, especially with Deepak Tangri looking to be angry about something an opposition player did to him. Speaking about what went down, Juan Ferrando said: “I think the videos will show that. But in my point of view, one of the Odisha FC person showed no respect for our team and that sparked everybody to start fighting.

“More or less, I know these are the same people (who look to create trouble). Maybe one day they decide to rile up the referees, because the referees know what happened. But we won’t put our mind to this, because the most important thing was the football today and we shouldn’t give attention to the people who do some wrong actions,” he added.

Which positions will ATKMB strengthen in January?

Finally, when questioned on how ATK Mohun Bagan are looking to replace their injured players in the January transfer window and which positions they want to be strengthened, he said: “Of course we need replacements. The club is working on playing new players. I hope that we can get the new players as soon as possible because the club needs them.

“The club is working hard since last month and I hope if everything is good, visa and contract stuff is sorted, then the new players can join with us. I can’t tell you much about them at this point, but they are good players. But I can tell you about two important positions that need reinforcement. One is to replace the injured Kauko, a #10 or #9. Another is a centre-back,” he finished with.