It will be a tight game against Chennaiyin FC, feels Stuart Baxter

The Odisha FC head coach also thinks his side will need to perform well if they want to clinch three points against the Marina Machans.

Odisha FC finally registered their maiden victory of the ongoing Indian Super League 2020-21 season when they defeated Kerala Blasters. They will now face Chennaiyin FC, who will look to end a three-game winless streak of their own. Ahead of the game, head coach Stuart Baxter spoke in the pre-match press conference.

Stuart Baxter looked visibly relieved after the result against Kerala during the press conference. The tactician spoke about several important topics and was joined by Jacob Tratt, who was a key figure in the victory against the Blasters. 

Importance of first victory

In the backdrop of winning their first game of the season, The Odisha FC head coach talked about the importance of that result.

“It is important to the degree that we needed to get those three points to give the players the belief and the confidence to continue on the road they are on. I think the players did a fantastic job in retaining their confidence and their belief, despite the results being against us,” he began.

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Planning behind change of tactics  

Jacob Tratt started in the right-back position in the previous game, which saw a different setup to their previous matches. Explaining the thought behind this, Stuart Baxter said, “It was just using the players that we have in a more efficient way.

“Jacob had a different role and did a great job with it. We brought (Gaurav) Bora back into the center-back position. We went with two strikers because we wanted to get up the field more quickly and give ourselves the chance to run the combinations that we have,” he added.

Opinion on Diego Mauricio’s performance

The Brazilian has been the focal point for the Juggernauts this season. Speaking about the striker and his contribution, Baxter said, “Diego’s been dangerous and clinical when we get him into the right positions. He is still learning the way we want him to play. With players like Diego, you have got to be careful of not putting him in a box and asking him to do the things that more average players would do.

“At the same time, Diego has got to understand that we have certain things that we expect him to do, to allow the other players to function. If he continues to score goals while he is learning then we are all happy,” the 67-year-old opined.

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Thoughts on Chennaiyin FC

Stuart Baxter also revealed his opinions on Chennaiyin FC, as he said, “What we can expect is a very tight game, we can expect that Chennaiyin will be smart and we can expect that we will have renewed vigour after our result. It's going to be a tight game and I know we will have to play well if we are going to take three points.”

Jacob Tratt’s analysis

The Australian defender accompanied Stuart Baxter in the press conference and presented his opinions on several topics.

“Obviously, It has been a difficult start to the season, but the boys’ attitude through this difficult period has been first-class. I think now that we have got our first win under our belt, we can push on from here. If we can keep that momentum, we can go a long way.”

Pairing up with Steven Taylor

Tratt also spoke about playing in a center-back pairing with former Newcastle United captain Steven Taylor.

“I felt very comfortable playing alongside him and learnt a lot just by being next to him. Obviously, he’s had a lot of experience, playing in the Premier League and I guess for me, I just want to learn as much as I can from him and do my best to play every game.” 

A message to fans   

The 26-year-old concluded by sending a message to the fans, assuring them of continued effort.

“The support has been excellent. We are working hard to keep the success coming and the results coming for the fans because they deserve nothing but wins,” he said.

“We’ll do our best everyday, keep performing to the best of our abilities and hopefully that gets us the results. Fingers crossed, we can push on from this win and continue on a little run," Tratt concluded.  

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