Juan Ferrando: We'll play against a very good team, not just Roy Krishna

The Spaniard along with winger Jorge Ortiz spoke ahead of the clash against ATK Mohun Bagan on Wednesday.

With matches being tightly packed, FC Goa, led by head coach Juan Ferrando, get ready for what is their toughest test yet when they face-off against a regressing ATK Mohun Bagan. The Mariners started the season brightly with three wins in three only to drop points in the last two matches. The Gaurs, on the other hand, had a difficult start to the season but have picked up pace to gain a maximum six points in two matches.

Facing ATK Mohun Bagan

The high-profile nature of the encounter did not escape Juan Ferrando, who felt that the Gaurs have a tough task ahead. “Everybody knows about ATK Mohun Bagan. They are a good team. The last two games, maybe the score was not expected. But they are a very good team. All the players have very good quality. There are lots of details to pay attention to tomorrow.”

Juan Ferrando also understands the need to look past one man and focus on the whole team. Not just for Goa but also for the opposition. “Everybody knows about (Roy) Krishna, but we are talking about football. We might be talking about one name, but in the end it is the team. It is very important to prepare one plan for all the team, because in the end, we play against a very good team, not just Roy Krishna.”

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Standards of Refereeing

A lot of questions are being raised about the standards of refereeing in the league and the tactician feels that there should be more cohesion between the referee and his assistants. “At this point, it is very difficult. In my opinion, we need to help them. Because there is a lot of stress and issues involved when taking a decision just in one second. I think in the end, it is very important that the referees take one unified decision. But sometimes, for me it is incredible when the referee decides a foul and the assistant says no. It is very important for the league to have a very good level of refereeing.”

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Hectic schedule of fixtures

He also added that the schedule is a bit too hectic and is highly demanding of the players. “We played on Saturday and it was very difficult to prepare for the coming game. Because the players are tired, they are not machines. They are people, they have emotions and they get tired. I am happy because we have a very good coaching staff. They help a lot in the recovery programs. And for me, the most important aspect is the positive mentality to help the team and of course it is necessary to change some players because we should not be thinking about tomorrow but ahead to the next game on Saturday.”

“Every season is a new chapter. For me, we need three points in every game. Because that is our mentality. Sometimes, it doesn’t happen. Against Mumbai, we lost the game in the last minute. NorthEast, we lost two points. I hope to change my luck sometimes but it is very important to continue working game-by-game to get three points,” Juan Ferrando concluded with a brief statement on his side’s mentality.

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Jorge Ortiz on his progress so far

Jorge Ortiz has been a key midfield presence for FC Goa this season. He feels his game is going to hit higher levels as the season progresses. “As players, who train on a week-in week-out basis, we keep improving and find ourselves in a better shape and form. It is not just for me, but for all the players in the team as well. Ofcourse, every game is different. Each game has a certain set of demands. In each particular game, with things being adjusted, it is to try and get the best result possible for us as a unit.”

He understands that his performances are supported by statistics but feels that it is just a small part of the larger picture that is the team. “Everybody looks at these numbers and everyone wants to improve on these numbers. The aim is to try and help the team as much as possible. But ultimately, the aim is to ensure that the team wins as many matches as possible. ”

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