John Gregory disappointed with defensive display, Steve Coppell happy with first home win

The first half of the game saw the hosts capitalize on the visitors' defensive lapses. 

ATK piped Chennaiyin FC 2-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium on Friday to pick up their first home win of the Indian Super League (ISL) season. A quick-fire start enabled Kalu Uche to score his first goal for ATK, after which John Johnson doubled their lead. Chennaiyin got one back through Carlos Salon, but that wasn’t enough as they fell to their fourth loss of the season.

After the disappointing defeat, Gregory was asked on how frustrating another loss was, “It’s exceptionally frustrating that we’ve created our own downfall in so many matches this season. It’s just genuine defensive mistakes which have cost us."

"Obviously, we’ve had to make a couple of defensive changes this year. Eli Sabia has done pretty well for us. We’ve had to chop around with the teams, but it’s the errors that have cost us matches," he opined.

"The first goal we conceded was almost comical. I can’t believe we’ve conceded a goal such as that," Gregory added.

 

 

 

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Watch: ATK 2-1 Chennaiyin FC highlights

“Even though we were 2-0 down, we carried on playing. We had to create the best goal in the game we scored. Salon had 5-6 more opportunities to score and he could’ve helped us out better," Gregory said.

"We totally out-passed and outran the opposition, but it comes to scoring goal. I’m sure Steve(Coppell) will easily take the win today.” he continued.

When speaking about what he thought the turning point of the game was, he said, “1-0 was the turning point. I think the turning point was when we got back to 2-1 and dominated the game after. I don’t think Karanjit had a save to make in the second half."

"Their goalkeeper made two-three very good saves. I’m not disappointed with the way we played, but just disappointed with the way we defended," he quipped.

He added, “Laldinliana was fantastic. He hasn’t played even an I-League match but played brilliantly. However, he made a wrong decision at taking a shot from 35 yards. He’s very young and inexperienced, but I thought he was a big plus point for us today.”

When quizzed on whether he thinks there’s pressure on him after a poor start, Gregory explained, “If you see the mistakes we’ve made today if we don’t make those mistakes we’ll win football matches. Last season, I had three foreign defenders in my back four that didn’t make a mistake all season. They were exceptionally solid and we built our team on that strong defence last year.

He added,  “I could always rely on my back four and my goalkeeper not conceding a goal last season. We won the ISL because of our strong defence. We didn’t score many but didn’t concede many either."

"The defence has been our Achilles heel this year. We haven’t defended as well as we should. It’s our defensive mistakes that have cost us and given games to the opposition," he opined.

Gregory was also asked on why Jeje Lalpekhlua and Gregory Nelson were kept on the bench. He explained, “We’ve had to try and look at ways of changing our approach to games. We’ve lost our captain from last year. We’ve also lost Ganesh at the start of the season. That was two huge players for us that are no longer a part. We’ve had to change how we’re playing. That’s been an easy transition but hasn’t made us strong defensively.

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Steve Coppell seemed a pleased man after the match. Upon being asked on how crucial the win was, he said, “I think for every team to win at home, it makes you feel good. Obviously, we lost the first two games and this win was a big one for us tonight."

Coppell was questioned on whether he felt the 2-0 lead at fourteen minutes was the takeaway of the game for him. He explained,  “Yes without a doubt. In a way, going 2-0 in front, human nature kicks in and you start protecting the lead. We were thinking about protecting what we’ve got."

"Especially after the got the goal, we shrank a little bit. We were so intent on trying to keep the lead rather than making it 3-1 on the day," he said.

The Englishman was asked about what his next targets are after this crucial win. He stated, “I just wish it was March (laughs). There is no strategy. The strategy is to try and win every game. We have a big game coming on against Bengaluru. They’ve proved that over the past few seasons. That will be a big test, but we are looking forward to that game now.”

When asked about whether today’s starting XI was his best, he explained “It was the best XI tonight! Again, I think the team is evolving. 18 games over four-five months, the team will not stay the same. You need alternatives in certain situations and options in case someone gets suspended. We need players who can step up to the plate when required."

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Finally, Coppell was asked on what areas he’s aiming to improve upon after the win. He said, “We analyze all our games and we look to improve for the next time all the time. I think ball retention and keeping the ball in certain areas of the pitch is something we need to improve upon. I think the team must have the coach’s vision.

“I hope we’re getting a better grasp at what is needed to succeed in ISL. It’s a short marathon. Each and every game is critical. You have the chance to improve vastly in every game. If you win 3-4 games in the bounce in this league then you’ll be a force when the league culminates at the end of March.” he signed off with.