We gave Kerala Blasters opportunities, claims Mumbai boss Sergio Lobera

The Spaniard also revealed that he felt the game was open for both sides.

Mumbai City FC secured a 2-0 victory against Kerala Blasters to regain the top spot in the Indian Super League standings. Adam Le Fondre and Hugo Boumous scored the goals while Amrinder Singh delivered a solid performance under the bars on Saturday. Following the win, head coach Sergio Lobera addressed several questions pertaining to the team’s performance in the post-match press conference. 

Importance of teamwork 

Sergio Lobera refrained from commenting about specific players after the game. “For me the most important thing is the teamwork. It’s not about individuals. With individuals, you can win one-two games. But, we need to work as a team. I need to work to improve our level because when you are playing well as a team the individuals can shine,” he began. 

[KH_ADWORDS type="4" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

The tactician was questioned regarding Bipin Singh’s impressive string of performances in the ongoing season, registering three assists in seven games. “The most important thing is the confidence. Bipin is a very good player like other players. We have a very good squad. We have very good Indian players, very good foreign players. The most important thing is to work well as a team and then as I told you before, the individualities it’s possible to shine,” the 43-year-old commented. 

High intensity from the beginning

Sergio Lobera had stressed on beginning matches positively in his previous press conferences. Mumbai City FC seemed to have improved on that aspect as they bagged both the goals in the opening 10 minutes against Kerala Blasters. The Spaniard was pleased with that but lamented the overall performance and called for further improvements from his side. 

“It’s very important for us, the first minutes. We spoke before the game about this and I am very happy with the start of the game. But, after that we scored two goals, the situation changed. I am not very happy with the way we managed the situation with 2-0. They had chances with our mistakes and increased the team motivation and we need to work better after two goals,” he explained. 

Hugo Boumous’ substitution

Hugo Boumous earned the spot-kick which was converted by Le Fondre while he chipped in the second goal of the game. However, he could have netted a couple of times more and even missed a penalty in 72nd minute, which resulted in him being replaced by Cy Goddard a few minutes later.

“No, I think his style is the team style. When we don’t have the ball and the match is open, we have to run a lot and I think it’s better to use fresh player in this position and it’s about this (the substitution),” Sergio Lobera explained.

Need to improve finishing? 

Several players like Bipin Singh, Mandar Rao Dessai and Hugo Boumous had opportunities to kill off the game by scoring the third goal of the night. Moreover, Kerala Blasters also had their opportunities to level the scores as they gradually built up the pressure on the Islanders. 

“I am not happy today. Because, it’s not only about the result. It’s about how it is possible to win. I think today we gave opportunities to the opponent team. The match was very open. We had clear chances also, the penalty. But we need to manage the game better. We need to have the possession of the ball, keep the possession, especially when you are winning 2-0," Sergio Lobera quipped.

[KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

“It’s very important for us because we had clear chances and 3-0 is game over. We gave them opportunities. Now, our focus is on the next game. We have only two days to recover the team. We have to work very well to recover the players after today’s game. But I am optimist and I am very happy with my players," he concluded.

Amrinder Singh and Hugo Boumous’ post-match talk

Amrinder Singh and Hugo Boumous spoke to the official broadcaster after the final whistle. Singh sounded positive on the team’s implementation of plans against Kerala Blasters. Speaking of the upcoming fixtures against Bengaluru FC and ATK Mohun Bagan, the goalkeeper said, “I think it is going to be very difficult. Our game is only after two days. There is less time for recovery but that’s no excuse. We need to recover quickly for the game vs Bengaluru.”

Boumous heaped praise on the custodian, even referring to him as one of the best goalkeepers in the country. “He is one of the more reasons why we are first on the table tonight,” the midfielder claimed. 

[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News |ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]

The 25-year-old was asked to compare the current Mumbai City FC team and the FC Goa side that he was associated with previously. “I think we play with the same philosophy, so we try to enjoy, try to keep the ball on the pitch, offensive style of play...even if different we want to do the same. Defensively we are much much better than FC Goa last season. We have very good goalkeeper (Amrinder). It’s very important. Nawaz was also very good last season,” Boumous signed off. 

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.