Owen Coyle feels Nerijus Valskis does not have to score to contribute

The Jamshedpur FC boss also praised goalkeeper TP Rehenesh on his performance.

A narrow win over Bengaluru FC on Monday evening saw Jamshedpur FC returning to winning ways in the Indian Super League. Following the game, head coach Owen Coyle addressed in the post-match press conference. 

Stephen Eze scored the winner for the Men of Steel on Monday, which was his third goal of the season. Similar to Alex Lima's disallowed goal in the previous game, Owen Coyle was asked if it was poetic justice for his side. 

On The Winner

"Well it was not poetic justice, it was good that the linesman was in a good place to see the ball was over the line. But, it's not poetic justice because we lost three points the other night and considering everything, we should actually be top of the table, given the points that have been taken from us through unfortunate circumstances," the tactician began.

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"But, this group of players work so hard, some of them have taken painkiller injections to play because we are short on numbers with injuries. But, they keep on giving everything that they have got on the field. It is an absolute credit to them and I feel we thoroughly deserve the three points," he added.

Different Aspects Of Nerijus Valskis

Jamshedpur FC's talismanic striker Nerijus Valkis has not scored In three consecutive games, however, the Men of Steel have found ways to find the back of the net. Highlighting how the Lithuanian has multiple facets to his game other than scoring, Owen Coyle added, "I think what has happened in all fairness is that most teams are double marking Valskis and that is creating opportunities for others."

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"But Valskis, I have said earlier that he is a wonderful striker, he does not have to score goals to contribute to the team. He brings others up the field and holds things up. I have loved working with him from the first moment at Chennaiyin and now we have continued to do that," the Scot continued.

Thoughts On Jamshedpur FC's Performances This Season 

Jamshedpur FC created multiple chances against Bengaluru FC throughout the game and edged the Blues on the night. Speaking on whether it was his team's best performance this season, Owen Coyle disagreed and felt that they could have been in a better position in the league table had decisions gone their way. 

"I feel we were outstanding against FC Goa and also against Mohun Bagan. I think we could have been eight games unbeaten. We lost the first game of the season and there we weren't probably ready. But, game-by-game we have steadily improved," he quipped. 

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"Three points denied against FC Goa and then we come out against Bengaluru, a wonderful team. They made us work hard and have a terrific coach and good players. But, we stood up to everything. We had many chances and scored one goal, it could have been two or three. They also had some chances in the first half, but we thoroughly deserve the three points," he added. 

On TP Rehenesh's Performance

Owen Coyle has backed TP Rehenesh right from the beginning of the season, which saw the tactician sticking with him even when the custodian was sent off. The faith has paid dividends for Jamshedpur, with Rehenesh putting in top performances in crucial encounters.

ALSO READ: Stephen Eze’s header lifts Jamshedpur FC over Bengaluru FC

Speaking on whether the 27-year old is the best goalkeeper in the league on current form, the Jamshedpur boss added, "Well, I can only speak about my goalkeeper, but there are some very good goalkeepers in the league. There was the Indian international at the other end today, Gurpreet (Singh Sandhu) made some fantastic saves today. But, about Rehenesh, when I was bringing him to the club I spoke to him beforehand and told him what I needed from him.

"On the back of that, I was determined to sign him which I did. There are still areas I want him to keep improving and striving to get better. But, he is a wonderful lad and gives us everything we need from a goalkeeper," the 54-year-old concluded.

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