For me, it's a yellow card: Des Buckingham on Lachenpa's sending off

Des Buckingham doesn't sound concerned of his team failing to keep a clean-sheet this season.

In a thrilling encounter of the ISL 2023-24 season, Mumbai City FC and Hyderabad FC locked horns in a high-energy match that left fans on the edge of their seats. Both teams showcased their prowess, but it was the unexpected own goals that truly defined the game.

The Islanders now find themselves in the fifth position on the league table, amassing a total of eight points. While they had their moments of brilliance, it was the unforeseen own goals that both delighted and disheartened their supporters.

Let’s take a look at what head coach Des Buckingham had to convey after the match:

Early Red Card

Mumbai City FC displayed grit and determination, even after losing their goalkeeper, Phurba Lachenpa, in the budding stages of the game. The Islanders maintained high possession and exhibited excellent 10-man defending. However, in the end, it was Tiri's own goal that prevented them from savouring the taste of victory.

Des Buckingham highlighted, “To go 10 men down that early in the game, off the back of coming back from Saudi three or four days ago and to work and be as controlled, and as organised as they haven’t have, that desire to work together and work for each other tonight, to make sure we got the result in the game, it’s so important.”

Inconsistent Refereeing

In the early minutes of the game, the referee wasted no time in brandishing a red card to Phurba Lachenpa. This swift decision prompted a reaction from the coach, Des Buckingham, who shared his opinions on the matter.

He said, “I just sat in with the referees and I just wanted to ask the question around the reason for the send-off, because in my opinion at the time and certainly seen replays back, on the moment of the tackle from Phurba, Mehtab is covering. The goalkeeper makes an attempt to play the ball and the player, that touch of the player goes away from goal.”

“So, I still don’t understand if I have got the rules wrong but we get sat down by Trevor Kettle from the Indian Super League at the start of every season, and my understanding of that situation is, that it’s a yellow card. So, for me it's yellow,” the tactician added.

The coach also added, “So, the decisions unfortunately affect the outcome of games. But, I’ll keep private what I have just spoken to them about, they have got a hard job. But, those key decisions in our games, in other games, it’s very important that they get the majority of those right.”

No clean-sheets in ISL 2023-24

Mumbai City FC have failed to keep clean sheets in this ISL season. When asked if the same concerns him, the Englishman replied, “No, we conceded four goals in the three games last year and scored six. I think before going into tonight's game it was the same. I think it might be one more goal than we conceded last year.”