Sergio Lobera: I am very lucky, I have a very good squad

The Spaniard spoke ahead of his side’s clash against the Yellow Army on Saturday.

Mumbai City FC will face Kerala Blasters at the GMC Stadium on December 2, as both teams will play their eighth game of the season. The Islanders will be back on the field after an almost two-week break. Head coach Sergio Lobera and captain Amrinder Singh addressed the media ahead of the encounter. Lobera emphasized on the Blasters and the aspects that Mumbai still need to improve on. Goalkeeper Singh sounded optimistic of adapting to his new role as a sweeper keeper. 

Tough run of fixtures 

The Islanders are set to face top teams like Bengaluru FC and ATK Mohun Bagan in the next couple of weeks. Lobera was probed about whether these fixtures will determine how far Mumbai can go this season. However, the 43-year-old refrained from commenting on that, as he claimed that he is solely focusing on the game against Kerala for now. 

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“I am only thinking about Kerala Blasters. I am not thinking now about Bengaluru or ATK Mohun Bagan. The most important thing is the next game. We need to put our focus on the next game and play game-by-game. Now, thinking of the table or the next three games is not good for us because our focus is the next game. It is going to be a very difficult game against a very good team with a great coach,” the head coach responded.

Kerala Blasters & similar style of play

Sergio Lobera anticipates coming up against a team that follows a brand of football similar to that of Mumbai City. Kibu Vicuna’s philosophy is much akin to that of Lobera, though the two teams have had contrasting fortunes so far. Reflecting on that, the tactician said, “It is going to be difficult. They have very good players, a very good team and a great coach. They try to play in a similar style of play like us. I think this is good for us and for the football, playing against this team…more spaces, meaning more entertaining football for the supporters. But, for us, we need to work and improve our style of play, our level.”

Regrouping after a lengthy break

Mumbai’s last match was against Hyderabad FC on December 20. The team will look to ride on the momentum that they have built so far, as Sergio Lobera explained, “It’s not easy and especially in these circumstances. You are living in a bubble during Christmas, New Year. 12 days is a long time without competition games. But, I am very lucky. I have a very good squad, with very good professionals, very good people. For me, it’s easy because they want to work everyday to improve their level.”

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Choosing between Vignesh Dakshinamurthy and Mandar Rao Dessai

Vignesh Dakshinamurthy excelled in the left-back slot in the absence of Mandar Rao Dessai last month. Dakshinamurthy delivered solid defensive performances and capped that off with an exquisite volleyed goal against Hyderabad. Dessai resumed training post-Christmas and the tactician was asked whether the duo have given him a selection headache. “It’s an amazing problem for me, like with other positions, other players. It's an amazing problem for the coach when you have very good players. You need to take difficult decisions. The situation I have is very good and it’s not easy to decide which players to play in the next game,” Sergio Lobera replied. 

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Team’s excellent defensive performance

Sergio Lobera’s teams are renowned for their goalscoring prowess. However, Mumbai have conceded the joint-least number of goals (3) this season along with ATK Mohun Bagan. They have also scored the second-most number of goals (11). Hence, the Islanders seem to have discovered a very fine balance in their playing style. Lobera admits that consciously working on a few factors has helped the team discover this neat stability in their approach. 

“Obviously, as a coach, if you want to win you need to work on balance. Balance, offensive and defensive, is very important for us. We play attacking football, but it’s very important for us to work well on defence. I am very happy because we are working on the balance of the team,” the 43-year-old said. 

Amrinder Singh on working with new backline

Goalkeeper Amrinder Singh has been integral to Mumbai’s defensive success too. His seamless adaptation behind a completely new backline is even more fascinating. 

Asked about the adjustments he has had to make following the arrival of new defenders, Singh said, “I don’t think there’s been much of an issue. We communicated a lot due to a few friendly games and that eased things for all of us. We communicate extensively during training sessions. I know what they want from me and talk to them whenever I get time. Whatever they want, they let me know and we discuss the plans that we need to implement on the field. If you trust each other then it’s quite easy to guide and communicate from behind.”

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Adapting to Lobera’s demands

Singh has adopted a more enhanced ball-playing role as a goalkeeper this season. He has been tasked with initiating attacking moves and the custodian seems delighted with this new challenge. “Of course, you might have seen I am keen whenever there’s an opportunity to play with the ball at my feet. I had previously wanted to play this style of football and I am extremely happy that I finally got this opportunity with the coach this year. I'm very comfortable playing this way. I am very happy how as a goalkeeper I initiate attacks from the back with proper plans,” the skipper explained. 

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