He tries it everyday in training: Simon Grayson on Javi Hernandez's wonder goal

Simon Grayson was not happy with Bengaluru FC's performance against East Bengal.

Bengaluru FC finally secured their first win of the Indian Super League 2023-24 season. The Blues defeated East Bengal by a 2-1 scoreline at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. Simon Grayson was elated with the result but was accepting of the fact that his team did not perform to the levels expected of them.

The tactician spoke to the media during the post-match interaction. He talked about Javi Hernandez’s sensational individual brilliance, the support of the fans and more. The head coach was happy to finally see his team break the losing cycle and put points on board.

Here are the excerpts from the conversation:

Unhappy with the performance

Simon Grayson was honest about his team’s underwhelming performance despite the positive result. The tactician said, “Not really (satisfied with performance). The biggest positive thing tonight is the result when you have lost two games like we have. We probably played better in those two games than we have tonight. You just need to break that cycle of losing. We were fragile defensively and did not look that solid.”

“We showed a lot of character, going down by a goal early and getting back into the game. It was pleasing that we saw out the game in the last few minutes and the number of young players we had on the pitch at that particular time is going to bode well,” he further stated.

Javi Hernandez’s wonder strike

Javi Hernandez scored through a brilliant overhead kick to win the contest for Bengaluru FC. Talking about the wondrous strike, Simon Grayson said, “He tries it probably every day in training and doesn't always have that end result. But, trying it in the first place and then finishing it off is unbelievable. It is worthy of winning any football match, not just in the ISL but around the world. He has got that in his armoury and we are delighted that his goal got us the valuable three points.”

Supporters gave an edge

Bengaluru FC had the backing of the home fans who were loud and proud during the game. Acknowledging that East Bengal were tough opponents and the fans played a key role in helping the players, the tactician said, “We knew they were going to be tough opponents. They have got some exciting talents who handle the ball really well. We knew it would be a tough game and we were too easy to play against in the first half. We did not win enough challenges (first half), and were soft in that department. They have a good coach who has been here before.”

“The supporters kept the team going, galvanized by their voices. Also, the spirit the younger players showed when they got on the pitch. Hopefully, we can have many more wins here for our supporters,” he added.