Juan Ferrando: SC East Bengal set-up was not a surprise for us

The FC Goa head coach shared his thoughts with the media after an entertaining draw against SC East Bengal.

When Daniel Fox was sent off in the early stages of the second half, Juan Ferrando and FC Goa might have smelt blood. A game that was nervously shifting from one end of the spectrum to the other, seemed to fall in Goa’s hands. But, a moment of brilliance from new signing Bright Enobakhare raised the alarm bells which prompted swift action sy the other end. Devendra Murgaonkar’s equalizer gave the Gaurs a share of the spoils, lesser than what they expected.

After the game, Ferrando interacted with the media and reflected on a host of topics, including their opponents’ setup, performance of his players and the end result.

SC East Bengal’s defensive setup

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The defensive setup of East Bengal might have caught many people unaware, but not Juan Ferrando. “It was not a surprise. We prepare for games, with different options and based on different plans of the opponents. I’m happy that in the first half we found some spaces and created opportunities, but it was not a surprise for us.”

Performance in defence

Ferrando was unhappy with the way his team dealt with transitions while defending, as he felt that cost the side three points. “After the red card, we decided to create more spaces with two No.10s. In transitions, we lost the ball and a clear opportunity was there for them. Of course, the reactions are good. But, I’m not so happy with the transitions when we are working in defence.”

https://youtu.be/T_y9AyFEDQA

Objectives going ahead

The coach feels that the next step is where the focus of the team should be. “Our mentality is now to put the focus on the start of the next round against Jamshedpur. To put all the focus and work on the next game, because it is the most important thing for us now. It is better to work and improve.

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The FC Goa head coach stood by his decision to go for the win in a game that was precariously poised.  Risk is part and parcel of the beautiful game he suggested. “When you decide to attack more, there will be more spaces in defence. At the end, it is a risk. We could have thought about a draw, if we weren’t thinking about taking risks. But, we think about winning all the time.”

The result

In the end, the tactician was clearly unhappy with the result. He felt like his team robbed themselves of a victory and would want a better showing next time around. “I am not so happy. After 1-1, we decided to put two No.9s because we want to win all the time. In my opinion, we lost two points, but it is football. Now, it is very important to forget this game and prepare for the next one, ” Ferrando concluded by stating so.

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