Juan Ferrando happy at ATKMB, Derrick Pereira wants FC Goa to improve

Both teams' head coaches spoke ahead of the clash on Wednesday.

ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Juan Ferrando wants his players to trust the plan he has laid down for the club and continue to play attacking football ahead of their match against FC Goa at PJN Stadium, Fatorda on Wednesday in the Indian Super League (ISL).

Ferrando is now set to face his former club on the field for the first time since his departure. The Spaniard has expressed that it is difficult to put his emotions into words ahead of the game against FC Goa. However, his focus is now on ATK Mohun Bagan’s bid to lift the ISL League Winners' Shield and Hero ISL title.

Here's what he said in the pre-match press conference.

How he feels to be at a big club like ATK Mohun Bagan

Juan Ferrando: I’m happy to join this club. I know they have a lot of ambition and for me it’s very important to be working here. I’ll try to improve the players and the team as a whole.

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His experience of managing the club for a week so far

Juan Ferrando: I think in this moment the players are thinking about the targets of the coach and also for me, I try to find the best options for them. We take things day-by-day, that’s the feeling. I know it’s difficult because when you are at the beginning of a season, you have more time to speak about tactics and work on that, but it’s difficult when it’s at the middle of the season. I’m happy because the players want to learn and they ask me a lot of time, which is good for us.

His assessment of the quality of the Mariners' squad

Juan Ferrando: I think the level is very high, of course. Now, I think it's necessary to talk with the players about that football is not only about the quality. It’s necessary to work as a team, to improve day-by-day and it’s necessary to prepare the plans and to get the players to trust in this plan.

Meanwhile, FC Goa’s new head coach Derrick Pereira believes that his team has massively improved in their recent games and the players will be in their best shape on Wednesday. Ahead of his team's battle against ATK Mohun Bagan, Pereira also addressed the media during a pre-match press conference.

Takeaways from last game

Derrick Pereira: I did not want to make any changes because the team has been doing well in the last three matches. There are limitations and a lot of injuries. We had a very good first half and we controlled the game. In the second half we lost our shape after conceding the goal. We have a very good team and the mentality of the team is to go for a win. Doing so, we lost our shape in the second half, which we have to work on. Also, we have to work on keeping the right balance while attacking and defending. We are going to stick to our philosophy of playing good attacking football.

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Does Juan Ferrando's knowledge on FC Goa add pressure on the team?

Derrick Pereira: Definitely, he knows the players in and out. He had been working with them for the last one and a half years. We know what he is going to bring to the table from ATK Mohun Bagan’s side. We know how they used to play earlier and how they are going to play now. We will definitely have a plan in place to counter that. Our boys are focused and more determined to play and get a good performance and a good result in tomorrow’s match.

Areas to improve on

Derrick Pereira: We have improved overall. From the first three matches and then in the next three matches, defensively also we have improved. We need to keep balance when we are in attack. We have to focus on transition from attack to defence. I think that’s the area where we have to focus on.

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