Target is to finish at the top of the table, says Juan Ferrando after win

The Mariners have qualified for the ISL 2021-22 play-offs.

ATK Mohun Bagan jumped to the joint-top spot in the Indian Super League (ISL) with a narrow 1-0 win over Chennaiyin FC on Thursday. A goal from Roy Krishna (45’) was enough to seal the win for the Mariners, who have now also qualified for the playoffs stages. Juan Ferrando seemed visibly happy as he spoke to the media post the victory.

Here are excerpts:

Thoughts on the win

Juan Ferrando still believes his team controlled the game better than Chennaiyin even though he was disappointed with the second half display, as he said after the game: “I think in the first half we were better in possession and in the attack, we tried to find the spaces and we tried to do the best.

“But in the second half, the team was very tired. In normal games like these, there is more pressure on us because we’re thinking about the 3 points, we’re thinking about the playoffs. Of course, it was Chennaiyin’s last game and for them, there was no pressure and for them, it was to enjoy the game. When you enjoy, you play much better than you do under pressure,” he added.

Unlucky to win by such a small margin?

When asked about whether his side were unlucky only to win by one goal after hitting the bar twice, Juan Ferrando answered: “In the first half, we had more clear chances as compared to them getting second half. In the second we were not in the best moment, the team wasn’t fresh and failed to create opportunities. We misplaced passes, lost the ball and even in transitions, it wasn’t better than in the first half.

“In the first half, our defensive transitions were perfect and the opponent were restricted to play long-balls. I’m very happy, but it’s normal with what happened in the second half because we were very tired. But I’m happy for the players because they try to do their best every day,” he quipped.

Roy Krishna’s form

Roy Krishna scored his first goal of 2022 and just before the pivotal final games of the season. Speaking about whether it’s the perfect time for the Fijian striker to hit his stride Juan Ferrando answered: “Yeah I’m happy for Roy because he experienced a very difficult time. He struggled with quarantine, everyone knows about his baby who had Covid, it was difficult for him and his family. But I’m happy because now the Covid pressure and bio-bubbles are more of less finishing. We are thinking that everybody is out of the bio-bubble in 20 days, we’ll have a normal life and we can enjoy the normal days.”

Thoughts on ATKMB being unbeaten under him

When asked about whether he ever felt ATKMB would be unbeaten en route to the playoffs once he joined the club, Juan Ferrando explained: “I’m happy but this is not for my job, it’s the job – firstly because the owner trusted in our job. Second, the players are amazing, they accepted our decisions and had a lot of respect for our job. We have an incredible coaching staff, everyone is working, everyone wants to do the best every day. This is the result of that. I don’t know how many matches we are unbeaten, but the most important thing is that we’re in the second position and have a chance in the playoffs.”

Fitness updates on Jhingan and Kauko

Sandesh Jhingan seemingly picked up a niggle towards the end of the game. Speaking about his availability for the big game against Jamshepdur, Juan Ferrando remarked: “I hope so! It’s time to look into what happen and exactly where the problem lies, but we need time. We need time to check the players. For example, in the case of Joni (Kauko), he experienced some stiffness in his legs. That’s because he’s played the entire 90 mins for a lot of games after the hard quarantine, so that’s normal. I don’t like to make substitutions because of injuries, but it’s a pleasure to work with these players.”

Battle on for ACL spot?

Finally, when asked about how he sees the fight for the AFC Champions League spot pan out in the next few days against Jamshedpur FC, Juan Ferrando said: “Of course I hope that Odisha can help us and then it’ll be like a final on Monday against Jamshedpur. Well the performances of Jamshedpur throughout this season has been very good, if they take 3 points against Odisha, it might be the moment to wish them congratulations because their season was very good. It’s necessary to accept that.

"Of course, we’ll try to finish first over them (by beating them 2-0 or more) and my target is to try to win and finish the season at the top of the table. Maybe if that’s not possible, it’s normal to accept because their season, of Kerala Blasters, Hyderabad had amazing seasons. They’re working hard, they had good results, they had very good players and played very good football. It’s necessary to talk about the rest of the teams, in my opinion,” he finished off with.

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