We know our opponents well, Csaba Laszlo warns ahead of Blasters game

The Chennaiyin FC boss also opined that he feels the Marina Machans' defensive performance can be improved.

A brilliant win in their Indian Super League campaign opener against Jamshedpur FC in the first gameweek have put Chennaiyin FC along with the other top performers in the league. However, the win over the Men of Steel is in the past now, and the Marina Machans face the season's first southern derby against Kerala Blasters on Sunday night. Ahead of the game, Chennaiyin FC head coach Csaba Laszlo spoke about his vision for his side and Kerala Blasters in details.

“I see the chemistry improve with the new players and the team on a weekly basis and the players are fighting for their place in the team. The important thing is that we don’t have any injuries in the team, because the season is long and the games are coming in fast. So we need every player on the team,” Csaba Laszlo said about the latest environment in the team.

The tactician spoke glowingly about his side’s defensive performance but indicated that it is an area where he wants further improvement. “In the last game we made a few mistakes, for instance, we were not 100% on the ball and when Reagan (Singh) lost the ball and it led to the goal. It is an area (defence) where we would like to improve.” 

“You will never play a perfect game and there will be mistakes, but it is important to improve them and also use the mistakes of the opponent to our advantage,” he added. 

Chennaiyin FC possesses envious depth and experience in their ranks and that kept them in good stead in their win against Jamshedpur FC. Speaking about it, the 56-year-old said, “When we come to the league, we talk about the foreign players. But as I told before, it is important to keep an eye on the Indian players as they are the future, and if you want to create a good league and national team, the local players have to be good.”

“For this reason, it is always an advantage to have Indian players who can change the game in the starting XI and the bench. It is important that we build a team which has strong Indian players,” he mentioned.

“We have to think of mixing both building the team and getting results on the pitch, for this we also need good, experienced foreign players like Rafa (Crivellaro), Fathkhullo (Fatkhulloev), Memo (Moura), Isma (Esmael Goncalves) who share their experience with the Indian players. It makes our fans proud of seeing the players do well,” Csaba Laszlo added.

The Chennaiyin FC boss revealed that he expects a challenging game against Kerala Blasters and spoke confidently ahead of the game. “We know our opponents well; We have to try and control the game. Kerala (Blasters) has a good team and their coach (Kibu Vicuna) is in his second season in India and knows Indian football very well, but he is also new (in the ISL) and so am I. The important thing is the reaction of the team and the players. We want to continue the way we did last game, enjoy ourselves out there and get three points out of the game,” he signed off.

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