Don't want to be over-reliant on set-pieces, asserts Simon Grayson

The coach also claimed that the preparations for the Chennaiyin FC game have been well.

Bengaluru FC rode on Alan Costa’s late header and some last-ditch defending to hold on to a 1-0 victory against NorthEast United in the season opener. The Blues travel to Chennai to face an upbeat Chennaiyin FC in the latest edition of the ‘Kaveri Derby’. Coach Simon Grayson is excited to sample the atmosphere and believes that he has the senior personnel to guide the rest of the team through such rivalries. The coach was assisted by centre-back Aleksandar Jovanovic is the press conference prior to the match.

Here is what they said.

Playing three away games in a row

BFC face a stern test involving three away games in a row. They have an enviable home record, but the Blues' away record has been inconsistent. On asked on how he will approach three away games in a row, Simon Grayson quipped, “Based on how our pitch was the other night, quite happy to get away!”

The Englishman continued, “The atmosphere at home was unbelievable and we will have to deal with it in Chennai too. You must deal with how the fixtures are. We will try to retain our intent, but we have full respect for Chennai, based on their first game. We have quite a lot of work still to do and we will get better as a team. Going away will be a test for us and we have the characters to deal with hostile atmospheres.”

Preparations for an away game

Grayson clarified that the preparations will be the same, be it a home game or an away game. He said, “Our preparation isn’t a great deal different. You get used to the journeys. Our preparation has been good, and we have had recovery days since the weekend. We are certainly looking forward to the game against Chennaiyin and we know that they will be too.”

Rivalry between the two sides

Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC have always put up fireworks and both sets of fans share a bitter rivalry stretching back to BFC's debut season in the ISL. Simon Grayson was questioned on his knowledge of the Southern rivalry.

The 52-year-old said, "You have to thrive in those circumstances. To get the adrenaline going and to keep your concentration levels high, there is nothing better than a derby. Wherever we go to, we must try to contain the home crowd. Away teams have not been able to handle the first 15 minutes but both teams (Chennaiyin and Odisha) stayed in the game, and we have a clear idea of what to do.

“I do understand the rivalry, but I have never sampled the same. It will take some time to get the feeling and know exactly what it means. The players who have played these big games use it as a motivation to get the bragging rights. Part and parcel of the new experience is sampling different rivalries. I loved every minute of our first home game and this time around, it will be a different kind of occasion but one that you can really relish. I can’t wait for such big games,” added the tactician.

Keeping emotions in check on the touchline

Simon Grayson generally exhibits a calm demeanour on the touchline but he did witness tempers flare against the Highlanders. On asked about how he keeps his emotions in check in the dugout, the Englishman answered, “I have spent 20 years as a manager, and I don’t show them as much as some people. But I want to win every game and I'm passionate about everything. I like to think I can control my emotions, but I hope I am not proven wrong over the course of the season.”

BFC’s set-piece threat

BFC have relied heavily on set-pieces as a source for goal-scoring and Roshan Singh's corner added another set-piece goal to the collection. On being asked about the threat that BFC possess on set-pieces, Simon Grayson replied, “We have done a lot of work on set-pieces in training. We will work on variations throughout the season, and we have got to take advantage of our big players height-wise, and poachers too. In addition, we have good delivery from Roshan and Javi. You have got to utilize set-pieces. They are vital but we don’t want to be over-reliant on them.”

Aleksandar Jovanovic getting up to pace with two seasoned ISL veterans in defence

Bengaluru FC are the only ISL team with a clean sheet so far. Aleksandar Jovanovic was asked on how he is getting along with Alan Costa and Sandesh Jhingan in defence. The centre-back replied, “For me football is an international language. Everyone knows the job at hand, and it involves gelling together. Alan, Sandesh, and I have adapted well. There is a healthy competition for spots and all of us show that hunger throughout the games and in training as well.

"We are putting in 110% to fight for a start and once we are in the team, it is about getting a clean sheet. Every time we do defensive training, we aim for clean sheets. Getting it in the game where it matters is a massive plus and it is almost like we have scored. Chennaiyin came out to play only in the second half against ATK Mohun Bagan. They play very direct and have some big boys but so do we,” added Jovanovic.