ATK Mohun Bagan confident of bouncing back after first loss in ISL
ATK Mohun Bagan will look for redemption when they take on Hyderabad FC in an ISL match on Friday.
By Naveen Peter · {{day}} {{monthName}} {{year}} {{hour}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}
For a team that boasts of one of the finest defences in the Indian Super League (ISL), ATK Mohun Bagan were left reeling as they suffered their first loss of the season against Jamshedpur FC on Monday.
ATK Mohun Bagan paid the price after Nerijus Valskis was able to score twice from corners to hand Jamshedpur a 2-0 lead before Roy Krishna pulled one back late into the game.
The match not only showed ATK Mohun Bagan's lack of thrust in the attacking third but also their frailty from set-pieces. It's an area their head coach Antonio López Habas will look to address when they line-up against Hyderabad FC on Friday.
"We can do fantastic work around set-pieces. Last season, we just conceded just one goal from set-pieces in all matches. Now in one match, we have conceded two. I hope we improve," Habas said.
"(In the last match against Jamshedpur FC) the opponents had good players for this situation. I have full confidence in my players and I hope this kind of situation will not be repeated."
Though the Mariners have been laid low with injuries to key players like Michael Soosairaj and Jobby Justin, Habas is confident of finding long-term solutions.
"We have a good squad. I have good confidence in my team. We are thinking about players who are here and not about Soosai. We have to respect the players. We have a good squad and we need to use the right players at the right moment," head coach Habas stated.
While Roy Krishna has once again proved his credentials with four goals in as many matches so far in ISL 2020-21, the lack of options upfront is a concern that ATK Mohun Bagan have been dealing with for some time. But Habas chooses not to dwell on it too much.
"All players have to collaborate together. The idea now is to score goals by more players by collaborating better. Only Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh have scored so far. But we are not concerned about the situation," the Spaniard concluded.