Owen Coyle: Odisha are going to be difficult opponents

The Scottish boss mentioned key injuries the team suffered in their previous game.

The Owen Coyle-led Jamshedpur FC are eager to make a comeback after losing their first game against Chennaiyin FC. The Men of Steel will be up against Odisha FC in the first of Sunday's double-header in the Indian Super League.

Despite the loss, Jamshedpur FC created a lot of chances and Owen Coyle feels that the togetherness and the fight that his boys showed the other day will be key in this game. "We picked ourselves up from there despite the scoreline and started passing with more precision and scored a wonderful goal, built up well as Valskis found the net. And as the game progressed, we had some more good chances falling our way and so did Chennaiyin. I was happy with the camaraderie and cohesion in the team, especially after being 2-0 down so early.”

"But we did feel the disappointment of not coming out of the match with any points on the night. We had some wonderful chances to equalise, we kept the ball better and passed around more than our opponent. We also had some injuries prior to the game and added two more during the game – both centre backs (Narender and Hartley) – leaving us with only one centre back available (Stephen Eze). But there were many positives and the team showed togetherness that will stand out and help us in the rest of the season," Coyle said during the pre-match press conference.

Asked about the similarities between his team and Odisha FC, considering both have a good mix of youth and experience, Coyle added, "I think Stuart Baxter has a great standing in the game of football. He is someone I know well and he is a great addition in the ISL. Odisha are going to be difficult opponents. They have a nice blend of youth and experience along with some good foreign players. So, we have to make sure we are ready for the challenge at hand. We will, of course, look to start the game better, try and win the game to get those valuable three points."

While the Men of Steel are looking to improve on their opening result, injuries have been a major concern for the Scotsman. Players like Joyner Lourenco and David Grande are unavailable due to injury concerns. While Amarjit Singh and Peter Hartley are also not at their physical best. Adding to the injury concerns, the former Wigan manager added, "Some of these players really want to play, but we have to be careful to not make any injury worse. Once again, we will be without a few players but that’s the nature of how it is this season due to a shortened pre-season. So, we have to make sure that the players available are ready to give their best for the upcoming match."

https://youtu.be/BkyKcROV-fs

When quizzed about the importance of the match to both the teams, Coyle emphasized on how evenly matched the teams are this season and how a win can take the team a few places higher in the points table. "Both, Stuart Baxter and I, know that every match is important. The first and second game is as important as the final games of the season. Each result makes a difference in the long run. And considering both teams have started on a losing note, the players from both teams will be hungry to prove themselves and get a win.”

"Also, as I said earlier, one win can take you a few places up and compared to the previous season, this season will be a more evenly matched contest between all the teams. Everyone is capable of beating each other. Wish the fans were able to see it, but they can’t unfortunately," Owen Coyle further added.

In the first game, a penalty was awarded against Jamshedpur and Owen Coyle was obviously not pleased with the decision. However, he hopes that the mistakes will iron out as the season progresses. "It’s a difficult job to do. And I understand the pressure on the referees with 22 players and 2 benches shouting at them continuously.

"But as I always said, it’s the big decisions that change matches. The small fouls in the center of the pitch, throw-ins, etc. can be more easily accepted by the coaches but when it comes to giving penalties, the offside calls, these need to be given right and have least margin of error as these cost goals. The penalty given against us in the previous game was never a penalty. But again, it was the first game and we all have teething problems and hopefully these will iron out as the season progresses," he added.

Lastly, Coyle explained the challenges faced by him at Jamshedpur FC in comparison to Chennaiyin from last season. "The simple challenge is that it is a new team effectively. There have been wholesome changes compared to last season. But the more we work together, the more we will improve. We are really looking forward to it. The idea was to build something considering the club has never made the playoffs.”

"Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as waving a magic wand to make things happen. This requires hard work to make fall things into place. Chennaiyin started with four points in four games and still made it to the final. So, it’s all about continuing hard work on the training pitch and with Jamshedpur, we can do the same. As I have mentioned earlier, it’s important to put the building blocks and infrastructure in place to ensure the club gets results," he concluded.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter and join our community on Telegram.