Scott Cooper: We're creating more chances but not finishing them

It was a frustrating night for Scott Cooper to see his team blank and lose the game.

Jamshedpur FC suffered a 0-1 defeat to Odisha FC in their latest 2023-24 Indian Super League contest at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on 1 December 2023. Roy Krishna scored the solitary goal as the Men of Steel could not find the back of the net due to a lack of precision in the final third.

Jamshedpur FC’s head coach, Scott Cooper was frustrated after seeing his team come away from the game without scoring a goal. He felt that his team performed well tactically and the issue lies with the mentality of some of the players in the side. 

Here are the excerpts from his conversation with the media personnel after the defeat:

Lack of efficiency 

Scott Cooper referred to the stats and suggested that his team did enough to score a goal. He said, “We had 20 chances to their 14. It is the same story every game, we create chances. It is frustrating because if you are getting beaten heavily with 25-30% possession and not taking chances, you have to worry as a coach and as a club.

“It is like a temporary disappointment but it is happening consistently. We don’t want it to be permanent. We are losing games by a single goal, creating more chances but not finishing them. Tactically, we are getting it right,” he added, expressing frustration over his team’s inability to convert chances into goals.

Not a tactical problem

The head coach spoke about not needing to change the formation as the lack of goals is more of a mentality issue. Talking about if a change in formation may solve the goal drought, he said, “Why? Let us say we changed the formation and the system, and made more chances again, it’s the same thing. It’s not a formation or a tactical problem, it is a conversion problem. Why would you change the tactics if you have 50% possession and 20 chances? You might change some players. They should be biting their nails for January (transfer window). If I am a player, I would be scared about my future at the club.”

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.