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Jamshedpur FC will face hosts Hyderabad FC in their next match in the Indian Super League at the Maidaan in Gachibowli on Thursday, December 21. Despite starting the season on a bright note, the Red Miners find themselves in the 11th position on the ISL table.
Head coach Scott Cooper addressed the media on Wednesday. He praised opponents Hyderabad and their style of play. Surprisingly, the Nizams remain the only team to have lost against Jamshedpur this season.
Cooper said in the presser:
"I like watching Hyderabad play. As opposed to some of the other teams in the league, they do not showcase a brand of 'direct football.' They like to keep possession and be patient with it. In some ways, one can say that they invite other teams to attack them."
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He added:
"They are a brilliant football club and with the addition of Conor Nestor this season, I think that they are even more fearsome. It is unfortunate that the results have not gone their way- quite like us- but I feel that the philosophy they have here will yield them success in the long run. When the results start coming their way, it is a philosophy that the fans will enjoy watching."
The match will kick off at 8 pm IST on December 21.
"I do not care what they make of my comments because it is the truth" - Scott Cooper
Cooper was asked about the blistering comments he made after their last game against Bengaluru FC, in which he questioned the desire and commitment of some of the players in the club.
He had gone so far as to say that with the January transfer window coming up, some players should be concerned about their future at the club.
"A part of football teams and successful ones I've been on, it's not always been (having) the most blessed players, but they have a real desire and a drive to win. And I'm searching for those players in our football club. We've got some, but we don't have enough. And with the January transfer window looming, some players should be very concerned,” Cooper had stated in the post-match press conference.
The straight-talking Yorkshireman did not mince his words when asked if he thought the dressing room was shaken by his comments.
"The lads know what they have to do. I do not care what they make of my comments because it is the truth. We have challenged them in the dressing room- not individually, but collectively- and I think it was important. I know that they will take it like men and be responsible. In professional sport, you have to be responsible and deliver," said Cooper
He concluded:
"We can try to sugarcoat things as much as we want, but the truth is that tomorrow's game features two teams who desperately need three points. Everyone knows that, and we cannot shy away from the fact. Hyderabad need this win as much as we do, and if you were to ask a neutral spectator, this would make for a wonderful game of football. I would certainly pay to watch such a game."
