Have Mohammedan SC improved in new season? Andrey Chernyshov comments

Mohammedan SC will be facing the Gaurs for the first time in an ISL game.

Mohammedan SC, the newbies in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 edition, will be taking on FC Goa in their second fixture of the season at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan on September 21, 2024. Despite their laudable performance in their debut game, Mohammedan SC succumbed to a late winner from Highlanders’ Algerian super-sub, Alaeddine Ajaraie, in injury time.

The Black and White Brigade were pretty solid in midfield, with Amarjit Singh Kiyam trying to find an aperture in the opposition’s defensive third, while Mirjalol Kasimov was entrusted with playing a pivotal role from deep. The two midfielders’ role in the middle of the park was bolstered by their Argentine linchpin, Alexis Gomez’s rigour and precision.

But what they struggled with was finishing in the final third. The three attackers upfront, Makan Chothe, F. Lalremsanga, and their main target man, Cesar Manzoki, couldn’t make it count on quite a few occasions.

Manzoki’s performance stole the spotlight in an unexpected fashion and created a bubble of doubt about his ability to perform in the Indian top flight. When the striker steps up on the field against the Gaurs on Saturday, he will be entrusted with the responsibility to break that bubble and make it count for his team.

During the pre-match press conference, Andrey Chernyshov shed light on the team’s development goals. He feels that there is room for improvement in his team’s ability to convert in the final third and the players’ fitness levels at this stage because he wants other teams to vouch for every point when they play against his team. He believes that his team will progress throughout since it’s just the beginning of their debut season. Andrey Chernyshov also spoke about improving Manzoki’s play style and his poaching ability within the 18-yard box.

He summarised, “We did not score in the last match. This is the problem not only with strikers. I understand if you see a striker score, then you start to say he is a very good player. But if he didn’t score, you start feeling the other way. We need to speak about all attacking players.

How did they give him the ball? When I refer to ‘him,’ I mean Cesar Manzoki. How many chances did he have in that match? He worked very well for the team when in a defensive role. We need to improve not only his game. We also need to improve our players up front.

How do they need to give him the ball? If he has ample chances and still does not score, only then will we start to speak about the problems. We will surely try to change some situations. We will try to perform better in our upcoming games. This is not easy if you come to another country.

One might need only two weeks to adapt himself. Another player needs a month for the same thing or maybe more time. This is completely up to the players. Different players have different time spans to adapt themselves to the situation. We hope to see Cesar Manzoki in good shape soon.”

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