Scott Cooper advocates for VAR in ISL after incident-filled defeat to Mohun Bagan

Jamshedpur FC has gathered just five points from six games they played in the ISL

In a thrilling showdown during Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 Gameweek 6, Jamshedpur FC clashed with the reigning champions and title contenders, Mohun Bagan Super Giants, at The Furnace. The Red Miners put up a fierce fight but were ultimately edged out 3-2 in an electrifying contest.

Currently occupying the eighth position on the table, Jamshedpur FC has gathered just five points from the six games played. Despite giving their all against The Mariners, the reigning champions managed to narrowly secure victory, leaving The Red Miners with a hard-fought battle and a determination to bounce back.

Let’s take a look on what head coach Scott Cooper conveyed in the post match press conference:

VAR Controversy

Scott Cooper seemed furious with the officials, and that his team was not awarded penalties in the first half. The coach said, “The only thing that spoils the game is, you don’t know what’s right and wrong anymore. Because everywhere else, even in Thailand, Vietnam, everywhere else, there is VAR. If you have VAR, our penalty is not a penalty. This is outside the box.”

“My player I speak, Steve Ambri, is outside the box. This is not a penalty. And if it is, it’s a red card. There’s two challenges on our players in the first half. The fourth official, you know what he did when I asked him, he laughed at me. He laughed at me, like it’s a funny thing. I wouldn’t wanna be an official in ISL, because it’s madness”, the tactician conveyed his furiousness in the conference.

“The one thing the league(ISL) needs is VAR, and they don’t bring it. How can smaller leagues in Asia have VAR and this one doesn’t? Who is managing ISL? Are they serious? ”The coach went on a rampage, expressing his frustration and disappointment with the ISL management.

Lead and Lag

Facing Mohun Bagan and NorthEast, Jamshedpur initially seized the lead, only to later concede. When questioned about this pattern, coach Scott replied, “It was never my intention to fall back at 1-0. I want 2, I want 3. I think Mohun Bagan are there for the taking tonight. That’s what I think.”

“I think at 1-0, the centre backs are all over the place. We are pressing them all over the place. Then, we have one or two players that decide they don’t want to keep the shape. When I look at games back and I see players that don’t want to do what they are supposed to do, they won’t have a future here. Simple!!” The Irish-English coach criticised his own players.

Special Mention to Steve Ambri and Rei Tachikawa

The tactician was impressed by his substitutes, Steve Ambri and Rei Tachikawa, due to the determination and passion they displayed during the minutes they played. The coach has also hinted that they will be included in the squad for the match against FC Goa.

He said, “Rei and Steve Ambri showed that we must play. Because both of them came with serious passion to change the game and do something. We were unlucky not to get it back to 3-3, but you have to give Mohun Bagan the credit. They took the chances.”

The atmosphere at The Furnace

The fans were exuberant in The Furnace, as both teams gave every ounce of energy into the match. Scott Cooper highlighted, “It was terrific. For Indian Football, this is what you want to see. Full stadiums, two teams, both attacking. We play against The Champions. We don’t sit back or try to defend, we go to attack them. It is a good game of football.”

“At least we are not getting dominated. Even today at 3-1, people might go 4-1 or 5-1, because of the 10 men. We pulled it back to 3-2, it could have been 3-3. So, the fans need to stay with us, because where I see the problems, I’ll fix it. I promise, I’ll fix it.”, Scott Cooper assures Jamshedpur fans to stick with the team, promising to address and fix the issues.

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