Coach, East Bengal match is a big match for us. How are we approaching this match and what changes are we expecting for this game?

We are approaching this game as always. Three very important points. We know for our fans it is a very special game and for us also. But there are three points and we are approaching the game as always, putting the focus in the game and trying to do the best of ourselves. Let’s see what happens because they are a very good team, they are a strong team. It will be a difficult game but we are confident as we are playing at home and we need to try to continue working in the best way possible at home. Hopefully we can get three very important points for us.

We have seen often our team build up the play but unable to finish some easy chances have we worked on that for this game?

No, finally football is about balance it’s not about only to put the focus in attacking situations. In defense we can improve in terms of numbers in a defensive situations because we didn’t have clean sheets till now. But also we had clear chances to finish the games, even in the games we lost against Chennai, for the second goal there was a chance from Boumous when you score two in the game changing everything. Also against Punjab Fall had a clear chance means one on one and finally they scored the second goal. We need to improve in both sides. We need to try to be more clinical in the final third and also we need to try to keep clean sheets. Even we need to try not to concede chances to the opponent team. Finally against JFC I think we did it but against Punjab, against Chennai, even against Kerala we conceded a lot of chances and we need to work in balance because football is about balance. It’s not on the attacking side or the defensive side only.

There is a big return expected in the form of Carlos Delgado. Are we expecting him to start?

Let’s see, always it is good as a coach to have more options. To choose between very good players. Carlos is coming from a from an injury. Today we have the last session and we need to check him again. But it’s good for us, it is good news for me as a coach for the team to have all the players available.

Amey, injuries have caused frequent changes to the backline of our team. Has this made adjusting to defensive partners difficult this season?

I guess no because we’ve been working since last season together and I don’t think uh that will be right to say that it has been difficult. It’s just that we are getting back together. Getting back in the form we were in last season and one clean sheet in the next match tomorrow we’ll get our confidence back.

Opposition players exploit the gaps from the wings because both you and Jerry support the attack so will you focus more on the defensive responsibilities in the next game?

I think coach said just before, that we need to balance both and tactically we know we’ve been working for tomorrow’s game very well so yeah we know what to do tomorrow and you’ll see it in the game.

So tomorrow is a big match coming up for us against East Bengal. So any messages for the fans?

For us now every game is important as every game is coming up we need three those three points and a clean sheet and we have to win for the fans, for ourselves and for the club also so yeah we’re going to give 100% more.

Amey, We have Manolo Marquez as the national team coach, so he will be experimenting with the squad and he will be giving chances to new players. How eager are you to prove yourself and earn your place back in the national team?

So right now I’m only thinking about tomorrow’s game and I’m thinking about winning for the team tomorrow. I don’t think it is the right time to think for myself. It is the right time to focus with the team and getting those three points tomorrow. Gradually we get the results and when we look good as a team together maybe that is the time after which individual performances also come out very well.

Coach, there has been some criticism about the late substitutions in the recent games. Do you feel the timing of your changes is being impactful?

We’ll need to manage well the squad. Finally if you have a very good squad you have more options to win the game. So finally you have very good options coming from the bench. You can change the game for example, yesterday Kerala all of the attacking players were in front and they wanted to win the game. We need to manage well the timings, we need to manage well the substitutions. I think every game is different, every team is different. We need to manage well this kind of situations and this is our job as a coaches to try to get the best performances possible from the players who are in the game and also the players who are coming from the bench.

Any news about Saviour Gama?

He is fit and he can play tomorrow.

Coach, do you think the international break helped us?

There are two answers. No, obviously long breaks are not easy in terms of the continuity of our work, our job, but also when you are seeing the crazy calendar we need breaks because in a mental situation, in a physical situation we are going to play. In February we have four games in 14 days. And then we have between one game and another game a 20 days gap. It’s good, but when you are living in this crazy calendar we need breaks. What we want is different, what the situation is and we need to adapt. There are no excuses. We cannot complain and we need to try to adapt as soon as possible in this scenario. We are not going to win or lose the game because there are a lot of breaks or not. We need to compete in this level. When you are competing in the highest level in a professional way you need to be ready for the challenges and there are no excuses.

Note: This is a transcript of the pre match press conference. Please watch the video of the press conference below: