Marco Pezzaiuoli seeks better defending, Owen Coyle lauds Stewart

Bengaluru are winless in their last six matches and have conceded the second-most goals this season.

Winless in their last six matches, Bengaluru FC square off against Jamshedpur FC in their next encounter in ISL 2021-22. After a splendid start, Marco Pezzaiuoli's side have fallen off the radar with four defeats in six games. The Blues, former champions, now find themselves placed at 10th in an 11-team league. As many as six points and as many positions separate them from their next opponents Jamshedpur FC. Owen Coyle's men have been one of the best sides in the first few weeks. But, consistency and momentum are what the Men of Steel would seek from this match.

Jamshedpur have won three, drawn two and lost just once in their six games so far in the campaign. However, Coyle's men are yet to register consecutive wins. They did bounce back from the thrashing against Mumbai City with a terrific win over Odisha FC. Jamshedpur scored four past the Juggernauts without reply and have so far scored the joint second-most goals (13) this season. In contrast, Bengaluru FC have conceded the second-most (15) this season. It is something that has Pezzaiuoli worried ahead of the match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHTmh-Q155w

Both Owen Coyle and Marco Pezzaiuoli shared their thoughts and preparations for the coming game at the pre-match press conference. Here's what they said:

Jamshedpur FC's attacking threats & necessity for defenders to step up

Jamshedpur have one of the best attacks in the ISL and have already scored 13 goals in six matches, while Bengaluru FC have conceded the second-most goals so far in ISL 2021-22. Pezzaiuoli insisted his entire team need to help in defending.

"We need to defend better against Jamshedpur. It’s not about defending by the defenders, it’s about defending as a team," said the Bengaluru FC boss. "They have a strong striker, so we need to protect the box. Our defence starts from our striker. We need to keep everyone focused and defend as a team."

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Decision to bench Sunil Chhetri in previous match

Marco Pezzaiuoli left fans and experts in surprise after benching club captain and record goalscorer Sunil Chhetri in the previous game. The 37-year-old is going through a rough patch and has already squandered two game-changing penalties this season. Asked, if Sunil could be benched again, Marco said, "No, it was a tactical decision."

"I wanted two left-footed players upfront for the game. But, when Sunil came on he worked hard. He helped the team a lot in our defensive play," added the German tactician.

Approach same as other matches

Jamshedpur boss Owen Coyle is not taking Bengaluru FC lightly, despite their ongoing winless run. His side, Coyle asserts, will approach the game with the same intensity as always.

"We will approach the games as we’ve approached the previous ones and it really is one game at a time because it is such a tight fixture list. Yes, we have injury concerns and we’ll have that almost every game, so it would be very naive to look too far ahead. We have to focus on the Bengaluru game and make sure we’re fresh and ready to give our best and be our best and if we are, we feel it’s a game we can win. But it will be a difficult game because Bengaluru are a tough side," added the Scotsman.

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Greg Stewart's importance

Stewart is the leading goalscorer and assist-maker for Jamshedpur. He has already netted four times and assisted as many in just six games.

"Greg Stewart’s a wonderful player, that’s the reason I brought him to Jamshedpur, and I told everybody in the pre-season about the qualities he possesses and it’s obviously nice when that’s vindicated and everybody can see why we brought him here," said Coyle beaming.

"He’s a wonderful player both on and off the pitch, anybody in our group will tell you that he’s got a loving personality, a caring nature, and he’s a real team player. He can create a goal, score a goal, works extremely hard against the ball and with the ball, and that’s exactly what we need. There are fantastic players in the league and Greg’s certainly one of them."

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