Gombau miffed at ISL schedule, Gregory laments unfinished chances

Published at :October 23, 2018 at 11:42 PM

Modified at :October 23, 2018 at 11:42 PM

Both teams played out the first goalless draw of the league this season.

The spoils were shared at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi between Delhi Dynamos and Chennaiyin FC. On a serene night in the capital, both the goalkeepers walked away with clean sheets and both teams walked away with a point each. Where the hosts failed to register their first victory of the campaign, the visitors managed to avoid defeat for the first time and opened their points account for the season of Indian Super League.

Reflecting back at the game, the Delhi Dynamos’ boss, Josep Gombau said, “First half was very equal. We had the ball a lot, they (Chennaiyin FC) sit back and wait for mistakes, but we did quite well. Second half was a bit different, our team was very tired after three games in 10 days, something that is difficult to manage.” He further went on to add that due to the fatigue, the fresher Chennaiyin FC team managed to control the game and create better chances in the second half, however, the point earned is a positive takeaway.

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Watch: Delhi Dynamos 0-0 Chennaiyin FC highlights

The gaffer of the hosts clearly seemed miffed at the scheduling of the matches. Upon being asked about Delhi playing three matches in a week or so and the challenge to play another three matches in a week’s duration, Gombau replied, “The team is working hard, no complaints, satisfied with all boys.” He further added that, “this schedule for any team or manager is difficult due to such short time. It’s not good for fans, for us, or anyone. Playing three games with two days gap is not good for football.”

On being asked if he had a points target in mind like his counterpart, the Delhi Dynamos tactician responded by saying that, “Every game is important, we try to win every match and take three points. For me, today we didn't deserve to win and some days we have our chances and this is football, now we rest and focus on winning more matches.”

A worrying stat for the fans of the Delhi-based outfit is that out of four matches played, they have played three at home and failed to win any of these games. This can hurt the team in the long run if away fixtures don't bear good results.

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The Chennaiyin FC boss, John Gregory, assessed his team’s performance while speaking to the media and was quoted as saying, “We should have won the game comfortably. We had really good scoring opportunities which we worked hard to create.”

He further complimented his team's defence by saying that, “Defensively we looked very solid and the second half was one-way traffic, we dominated it, and their goalkeeper was the man of the match who kept Delhi in the game.”

With a single point in four games, the Chennaiyin FC boss commented on the unfavourable start to their title defence by saying that, “We almost got started today, and you need to take your chances when you get them and it could have been a comfortable victory for us.”

“There is a lack of confidence among the players as they are used to being on the other end of the table. I am absolutely delighted with the way they played and they performed, they kept smiling... The effort they have given in three defeats has been tremendous.”

The Englishman firmly believed that there could only be one winner today unless his team made a mistake. He also expressed overall contentment towards his players and the effort they put in. The 64-year-old also welcomed the clean-sheet, since the Chennai-based outfit had conceded eight goals in last three fixtures.

As for the remainder of the season, John expressed his opinion by saying that, “We need 29 points to get into the playoffs, we got one so far and that’s our aim, nothing has changed.” The gaffer made the point that he still believes his team can defend the title.

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Moving forward, Delhi Dynamos will have an important away fixture against Mumbai City on Saturday, October 27, 2018. As for Chennaiyin FC, a trip to ATK on Friday, 26 October 2018 is next on the cards.