"I'm not satisfied," says Csaba Laszlo after draw with Mumbai City

The Romanian explained his side's mentality on the evening.

Former two-time Indian Super League champions Chennaiyin FC came from behind to rescue a point against table-toppers Mumbai City FC after Isma’s penalty cancelled out a smart goal from Bartholomew Ogbeche in the first half. Csaba Laszlo and Co. were resolute in defence against MCFC’s near-relentless attack. The Romanian manager addressed the media after the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ym-cgMKaVo

“We had the possibility of scoring one more goal. At the end of the day, we must be satisfied with the one point. This was a very important one point. We came for three points; I was definitely prepared and I put a very offensive team on the pitch. I think the one point is deserved. Could be more, but I am not unsatisfied.”

Failure to retain possession

With a passing accuracy of just 57%, Chennaiyin saw a lot of their moves grind to a halt on the back of poor decisions by the Marina Machans. The team are missing key players in Anirudh Thapa and Rafael Crivellaro and had to field a makeshift midfield against Mumbai City.

“We have Rafa out and Thapa out. So, we had to re-build completely (the team). We had to also re-build our tactics. Especially, since you do not have a full week to train, for the players as well, it is not easy," explained Csaba Laszlo.

“I know my team and I know football. I know that if you want to win games, you have to have more legs in midfield. You have to control the ball sometimes a little bit more," he added.

Team's Mentality

Despite silky play on occasions from Mumbai, CFC held firm to win a penalty halfway through the second half. The South Indian side showed immense belief and were lauded by their head coach.

“We showed a strong mentality because after ATKMB, there were a lot of sad faces in the dressing room. After what I saw today, we came back and the team showed a very good spirit.”

Confidence gained after equalizer

After Isma smacked the ball into the Mumbai City FC net from the spot, Chennaiyin FC looked like they had caught a second wind. The passing became crisper and they did not look like a side that were looking to hold onto a point. Csaba Laszlo expressed his pleasure over his side’s resurgence in the game.

“Fantastic. I had the feeling after the goal that we are capable (of scoring) the next goal. We had even 1-2 possibilities, not chances, but possibilities. I put on players that think offensively. My intention was definitely to win the game.”