"I am excited to play tomorrow" - Mumbai City head coach Petr Kratky ahead of ISL clash with East Bengal at home
Mumbai City FC host East Bengal at the Mumbai Football Arena in Mumbai in the Indian Super League on Saturday (December 16). The hosts, who are about to embark on a busy run of fixtures, will want to take as many points as they can from this game.
East Bengal, who are not known to travel well, may end up playing into Mumbai City's hands if they keep with their tried and tested possession-based football style. The Islanders are known to press high and press hard.
This game will also be new head coach Petr Kratky's first at home, and understandably, he is quite excited about the prospect. He opened up on a host of issues to the media ahead of the game in the pre-match press conference.
"I am very excited to see the stadium. Hopefully, we will play good football and win. I am excited to play tomorrow. I haven't seen much of the things around in this city - only been in the hotel and met the players and the staff. I am excited to play tomorrow," said Kratky.
"Training was very good, the pitch was very good. The players have showcased a good attitude. It is a bit different from what it was in Goa. I am very impressed with the quality of the grass and the facilities. The players look good and I am very happy. A lot of positives so far," he added.
"The ISL is very similar to the league in Australia" - Petr Kratky
Kratky has said in the past that he has found the ISL to be similar to the A-League, from where he has arrived.
His first game in charge was against FC Goa earlier this week, which the Islanders drew 0-0. Quite naturally, he will want to get a positive result in this match and impress the home supporters.
The vocal home crowd in Andheri is known to sway results Mumbai City's way and Kratky will hope that the same comes to the fore on Saturday.
"As I have said previously, the ISL is very similar to the league in Australia. I am very impressed with our team. I am happy with the way the players want to play and the way they want to work. They set very high standards for themselves. I have a good feeling for this league and this season for us in particular," said Kratky.
"I always set the highest targets for myself. I am not here just to be here. We want to win. We want to win as many games as possible. The highest position is my target. I will never limit myself. We can always do better and keep improving," he added.
Kratky is not taking East Bengal, who are eighth in the table with just nine points, lightly. He believes that giving respect to one's opposition is vital.
"I always respect my opposition. We can never underestimate the team that is playing against us. If we follow our game style and work hard, then I have faith in the group that we can deliver. There are a few areas which we need to improve upon, and if we do that, we will be able to do better on the field," he concluded.