Need to make sure we're best version of ourselves: Owen Coyle

Owen Coyle has utmost respect for the opponents Punjab FC.

Chennaiyin FC are set to face the newly promoted Punjab FC in their upcoming Indian Super League 2023-23 fixture on Sunday, 29 October 2023. Owen Coyle’s men finally recorded their first win of the season in their previous league fixture against the Nizams and will enter the contest against the Shers with a bit of confidence and belief.

However, Owen Coyle is not taking any game for granted and expects a tough clash against Punjab FC, despite the visitors having not won a single game this season. He is firmly focused on helping the side improve and work towards putting points on the board. Ankit Mukherjee also joined him in the pre-match press conference.

Here are the excerpts from the conversation:

Respect for Punjab FC

Owen Coyle holds respect for Punjab FC and admires the players that the club has on their roster. While speaking about the upcoming opponents, he said, “I have nothing but the utmost respect for Punjab FC. I think the margins have been small in their games. Punjab drew in the last couple of games where it could have easily been three points. They have fantastic Indian players and wonderful foreign players too.”

Need to improve

Owen Coyle is of the belief that the league position at this point of the season is irrelevant. The tactician expects his side to continue on the path and improve with every passing game. “We have played four games in the season and If we win on Sunday, we move to the top half of the table. It counts for nothing at this stage of the season. The game is important for both the clubs but there are so many games to go after. What we want to do is continue the progress that we have continued to make,” he said.

“My players know that we are in for a tough game but what we need to do is make sure that we are the best version of ourselves. If we continue to do that, we will pick up points and climb up the table,” he further added in this context.

Team News

Owen Coyle provided an update on the injury front and indicated that Ninthoi might be unavailable while Lazar Cirkovic is training with the group. He was happy to have a bunch of options on the bench, thanks to an improving situation in regards to injuries. “It was the first time last week that we had a full squad available so that puts us in a good position,” the Scotsman said.

Ankit Mukherjee on keeping clean-sheets

Ankit Mukherjee provided the assist for the goal scored by Connor Shields in the 1-0 win against Hyderabad FC. The full-back has been encouraged to play in an advanced role but believes that keeping clean-sheets is vital to move up the league table. “I feel like the better we are defensively in this league, the more are the chances of the team to get a win. Keeping clean-sheets is a little better than scoring goals. We are working on how we can score more goals and create more attacking chances. Hopefully we will do the same in the next game,” he opined.