Sergio Lobera: Injuries not the reason to lose two points against JFC

The Spaniard was critical of his side’s show in the final third against the Men of Steel.

Mumbai City FC played out a 1-1 draw against Jamshedpur FC at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim. Nerijus Valskis opened the scoring for the Men of Steel, as Jackichand Singh set him up with the assist. Bartholomew Ogbeche levelled the scores for the Islanders in the 15th minute. However, Aitor Monroy was sent off in the 28th minute and that handed a man’s advantage to Sergio Lobera’s side. Still, Jamshedpur put in a gritty performance to prevent Mumbai from taking the lead. Head coach Lobera pondered on several aspects of the game in his post-match interaction. 

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Lack of clinical finishing

The team took 18 shots and four of them were on target. Clearly, they missed several opportunities to secure their fifth successive victory this season. 

Probed about this, the head coach said, “They played very well defensively. I think we played against a very good team and we created our chances, but finally we can’t score. It’s teamwork and sometimes these situations happen. We need to improve and maybe we need to manage playing against 10 players better.”

He added, “It’s very important because if you create chances, you need to score goals. It’s not only the fault was with one player or two players. We created a lot of chances with different players, but finally we can’t score. We need to improve this situation.”

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https://youtu.be/I1vJZ_SeOkc

A point earned or two lost? 

Despite being a man down, Jamshedpur had significant influence on proceedings. They were tenacious at the back, led by skipper Peter Hartley. Given that the opposition put forth a challenging contest, is Lobera content with the draw? “No, I feel we lost two points. When you are playing for a long time against 10 players, obviously, in a different situation in a different way, maybe one point is enough. It depends on the situation during the game. But today, I feel we lost two points,” he answered. 

Update on Hugo Boumous’ fitness

Hugo Boumous was visibly tired after the game against Chennaiyin FC and didn’t make it to the squad for this match. The Islanders also missed the services of Hernan Santana for a similar reason. Reflecting on Boumous’ fitness, the tactician said, “Hopefully, in the next game it’s possible to play (him). I am optimistic. I think he doesn't have a big injury and it’s possible to recover for the next game. But, there are no excuses. Missing Boumous, Mandar (Rao Dessai) or Hernan…we have a very good squad and this is not the reason to lose two points today.”

Bartholomew Ogbeche and Adam Le Fondre’s on-field compatibility

This was the second time that Lobera lined up the duo of Bartholomew Ogbeche and Adam le Fondre together in the starting XI. Incidentally, Mumbai have dropped points in both the games. However, the Spaniard continues to maintain that the two strikers can deliver the desired results in such a setup. “I think they can play together. They are very good players with experience. This is not the reason. I think we need to analyze our team, not only two players. But, I think they are very good players with experience and they can play together,” the tactician insisted. 

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Thoughts on conceding a goal after a strong start to the game

Mumbai have been guilty of being a bit lackluster in the initial phases of the games this season. Coach Lobera even addressed the issue in the previous post-match press conference. This time around, they started proceedings on a strong note. However, Nerijus Valskis bagged a goal against the run of play and handed Jamshedpur an early lead in the contest. 

Reacting to that, the coach stated, “It’s a difficult situation because maybe it’s the best start (to) the match during this season. We played very well, but after that we conceded one goal. But, small things change the result when you concede options to the opposition team and they have very good players.”

Related: Adamant Jamshedpur FC frustrate leaders Mumbai City FC

Challenges of playing against 10 men

Mumbai certainly do seem to have a problem playing against a team with a man down. It took them until injury-time to score the winner in the game against FC Goa, though Redeem Tlang had been sent off ahead of the 40th minute. This time around, they had around 70 minutes to take the lead after Monroy’s dismissal, but failed to do so. Lobera admitted that this is an aspect that his team need to improve going ahead. 

“During a long time playing against 10 men, we need to manage the situation better. We need to improve, obviously. When you create opportunities and you don't score, you need to improve. But, I am happy with the attitude of my players till the end,” the 43-year-old expressed.

Bartholomew Ogbeche on his own performance

Speaking right after the game, Bartholomew Ogbeche accepted that he needs to be more efficient in front of goal. Asked whether not featuring in every game is hampering his performance, the striker claimed that the situation is a bit foreign to him. He mentioned that he needs to be “playable” and was quite critical of his own outing despite registering his name on the scoresheet. “I hope from now on I will be on the pitch every night, day-in-day-out. If I play or do not play, I need to make sure that I am more ruthless,” the marksman signed off.

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