Problem was we thought we're bigger: Juan Pedro Benali

Juan Pedro Benali wants NorthEast United to be more consistent.

After a thrilling win in last game, NorthEast United FC were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Punjab FC in their third game of the season. The Highlanders began strong with Parthib Gogoi scoring another banger.

But, just after the hour mark, they lost their composure and conceded a silly goal. The Highlanders couldn’t do much after that and had to settle for a draw in the national capital. After the game, head coach Juan Pedro Benali addressed the media.

Thoughts on the game

The head coach began by sharing his thoughts on the game. He said that there was a lack of concentration and consistency from his team.

“We played against a good young team which runs a lot. They made it hard for us, and had a lot of chances. The only mistake that we made is when they scored. We need to be more consistent. It was a lack of concentration. Slowly we are building a team. We are looking forward to the next game,” he asserted.

On Romain Philippoteaux's penalty miss

Romain Philippoteaux missed a penalty in the first half. When asked if that was the turning point of the game, Juan Pedro Benali said, “No, not at all. The problem that we had today was that we thought we’re bigger. We forgot who we are and that we need to fight, run and concentrate all throughout the game. We lost concentration and they scored from a corner. That’s it.”

Parthib Gogoi’s development

Speaking about Parthib Gogoi who scored his third goal of the campaign, the head coach claimed that he needs time to grow more and understand the game better.

“Slowly, he is growing. That is why I’m asking everyone to give him time. Let him grow up. He is still young and has time. Don’t put him high (in terms of position or pedestal) because when he falls down, it will be difficult to put him up again. He is young, works hard and we are lucky to have him. He needs to grow and work more. He scores, but he needs to participate more in the game,” he said.

Thoughts on the league

The Spanish coach was also asked about his thoughts on the league after three games. He said that all the teams are very much similar except for a few sides.

“There is not much difference between all the teams. All the games are finishing with small details. We saw Jamshedpur FC yesterday and East Bengal against Bengaluru FC. Except for 1-2 teams who are playing in another league, we are all there,” he concluded.