CHENNAI: Football is a funny game. The best team doesn’t always win. A team can boast of possession and creating more chances, but in the end, the results matter. And results depend upon goals. That is one area that Chennai City FC need to work on.
As they gear up for the third match of their maiden I-League campaign against DSK Shivajians at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex on Tuesday, head coach Robin Charles Raja feels that his strikers need to be more composed in front of goal. “Even against Bengaluru FC, (Marcos) Tank had a very easy chance. But his first touch was poor and we lost the ball. Our midfielders and strikers need to be more focused. Though we are making the right tackles and interceptions, the players need to improve their passing and finishing,” Robin told Express.
With giants Mohun Bagan up next on January 21, Chennai City will look to take maximum advantage from this fixture. “We were super defensive against Bengaluru. But we will approach this game differently. We are going for three points,” Robin added. One major fitness concern remains Haroon Fakhruddin Amiri. The Afghan missed the match against Bengaluru due to a slight injury. But his participation is still in doubt.
Robin’s decision to play Amiri — usually a defender —as a support striker was an interesting aspect of the opener against Minerva Punjab FC. With a lack of flair upfront, Robin said that he will continue to do so, at least for the time being. “Amiri trained today (Monday). He is feeling slightly better. We need to discuss with the physios before taking a call. If he is fit, I will deploy him as a No 10, at least till things are more stable. We need an experienced player like him to guide the others,” said the former Tamil Nadu coach.
Chennai skipper Dharmaraj Ravanan also stressed the importance of three points. “It’s a must win for both. We need to climb up the table in the early stages and this is a good opportunity. But it won’t be easy as they lost their opening two fixtures. We are yet to score a goal and I feel it will definitely happen this game. We are working as a team and hopefully, we can get all three points,” concluded the centre back.
vimalsankar@newindianexpress.com