"We are the same as every team"- Jamshedpur FC head coach Owen Coyle ahead of their encounter against SC East Bengal
Jamshedpur FC will begin their Indian Super League campaign against SC East Bengal on Sunday. Head coach Owen Coyle speaks to the press ahead of the encounter.
Here's what he had to say:
"We are the same as every team. We want to be in those positions. We want to be challenging to be up there, the very top end. Of course, we do and everybody aspires to be winners. That's why it's such a competitive league. What we have done is certainly improved from last year."
Owen Coyle also talked about how the players of Jamshedpur put in their best during the pre-season in order to be prepared for the games to come. He added:
"I think we have worked very hard during the pre-season as we had to do. There has obviously been a long off. We had to make sure that we don't do too much too quickly. It can lead to injuries. We had a few concerns. But, hopefully, we'll have a good team against East Bengal."
On being asked about the four foreigners rule, the Jamshedpur FC head coach stated that his side had six quality foreigners who all have fantastic qualities and attributes. He explained:
"As a head coach, it's a real dilemma. There will be challenges in picking 4 out of 6 at any given time. But equally, the boys are ready to give their all and that's what we need. We think most teams will have fantastic individual players. But our strength will always be as a group. That's what we need to bring in. It's a team that wins, not individuals."
Owen Coyle also shed light on Farukh Choudhary's injury and said he would be surprised if the player made a comeback this season given how grievous the injury is.
Jamshedpur FC captain Peter Hartley speaks at the press conference
Jamshedpur FC captain Peter Hartley addressed the media and talked about the team's pre-season and how he plans to approach the Indian Super League campaign as the captain of the team. He said:
"I am very excited. We've had a very tough but enjoyable pre-season. We have got to start the games quickly and let everyone know that Jamshedpur FC means business from the off. The play-offs is a target but I believe that with the quality in the squad, we are more than capable of beating any team in the league. So for me, my goal is to win every game."
The Jamshedpur FC captain talked about life in a bio-secure bubble. He stressed that everyone needs to be positive in these circumstances and that the players and the staff need to look after each other.