Jamshedpur FC take on Indian Super League (ISL) leaders Bengaluru FC in a crucial tie on Sunday at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. This is the first time that an ISL match is going to take place in the capital of Odisha.
The Men of Steel are currently in the fourth position on the league table with 26 points from 16 matches. They only need a few more points to book a berth in the knockout stages.
Ahead of this important clash, Jamshedpur gaffer Steve Coppell did not agree to the fact that it is a do-or-die situation for his team against Bengaluru FC. He said, "I don't think it is a must-win game. In the last four or five games, we have done reasonably well. Since the halfway of the season, we have got decent results. We have got into the top four."
He continued, "We are playing against the best team in the league. They are also playing AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Cup. I personally like their style of play. We have to be effective and competitive. We have to match them in every department. We are looking forward to the match and relishing the challenge."
Coppell whole-heartedly praised the hospitality of Bhubaneswar and also spoke positively about the Kalinga Stadium. "We have been made to feel very welcome here. The training facility is excellent. The stadium and the pitch look good. I am hoping it will be a good atmosphere. We are happy to be here," said the British coach.
When asked about the sudden change in their form in the second half of the season, Coppell said, "Even in the first half of the season, we had 10 points. Wellington (Priori) coming in has given us an injection. Minor improvements in a lot of areas have brought in the change. But we are in a very fragile position at the moment. Anything can happen from here. We can win the next two games and qualify for the play-offs or we can lose and go down to the seventh position. We are glad to be in this position."
Bengaluru FC have had a very hectic schedule as they have AFC Cup commitments in between ISL matches. They have played four AFC Cup games in this one month which involved travelling to Bhutan and Maldives.
When asked if Bengaluru's schedule will be an advantage for his side, Coppell replied, "We travel more than anybody else. After some time you become resilient to these kinds of fixtures. You have to accept it. A lot of the international players are used to that. Now the Indian players are slowly getting used to it."
On the change in home venue, he opined, "There is no home advantage here. If you look at the league, we have more away wins than at home. In Europe, the home stadiums are intimidating. That's why there is a home advantage. ISL stadiums have running tracks around and so the impact of the crowd is less."
The coach has also clearly stated that he will not tweak his tactics against Bengaluru. He said, "We won't change tactics. We will play the way we play. Bengaluru FC are a good team. We can be effective. It's not about how we play, it's about the results."
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)