"I’m very happy with the recruitment" - Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham discusses new signings, previews 2023 Durand Cup, and more 

Coming off a record-breaking year, Mumbai City FC have now set their sights on a new season, filled with high expectations and fresh challenges.

As the side prepares for the upcoming Durand Cup, scheduled to kick off on August 5, they moved their pre-season training to Thailand for over two weeks. In that time, they played two friendlies, which included a convincing 3-0 win against Thai League 1 side PT Prachaup FC.

Head coach Des Buckingham expressed his satisfaction with the pre-season tour, emphasizing that the intensive two-week period allowed the team to reflect on their success from the previous season.

"We played a couple of games and it was a nice way to finish with a win," Buckingham said during Mumbai City FC’s first press conference of the season. "We went to Thailand, the same way we went to Dubai last year this time, and the club was very supportive of it. We had everybody with us from the start and that’s so important to what we want to do. "

"It was only two weeks in Thailand, but it allowed us to revisit last season’s good work," he added. "We know we need to get better this year and there’ll be different challenges. But it’s important to reflect on what we did last year because it was a hugely successful season for many reasons. From a playing style perspective, we need to recognize what really worked well and also look at the areas to improve this year. "

Buckingham also explained the significance of both the pre-season tour and the Durand Cup, stating that they will play pivotal roles in preparing the team for the upcoming season, starting with the AFC Champions League in September.

"There were also wonderful facilities and people to look after us. We have a couple of new additions to introduce to what we did and how we did it. Now, it’s about adding to that to make sure that we can be successful throughout the Durand Cup and that we are in the best position to start the season in the AFC Champions League. "

Mumbai City FC have been placed in Group B, and find themselves alongside familiar foes - Jamshedpur FC, Mohammedan FC, and the Indian Navy. They faced the latter two teams during the previous season's Durand Cup as well.

Quizzed by Sportskeeda on how he assesses the club’s group-stage opponents, Buckingham responded:

"Mohammedan gave us a good game last year in the Durand Cup. It took us around the 80th minute to score the winner that put us through to the finals. We know they are a good team despite changing the coach and some of the players. They have also been playing well in the local league and then of course they have the addition of foreign players. "

"We are expecting a tough opponent, they are a very good I-League team and I’m sure they will look to challenge and come up to the ISL next year. We then face Jamshedpur FC and the Indian Navy. Again, they are two teams we are familiar with. Our exploits against Jamshedpur last year, regardless of the team that they bring, and then the Navy who we played in the 2022 Durand Cup."

Buckingham stated that the Islanders are adopting a one-step-at-a-time approach, with their immediate focus on Mohammedan FC, who they will face on Saturday, August 5.

"But first and foremost is Mohammedan and making sure we are prepared as we can be for that. That’s what we have tried to do in the last two and a half weeks. We are very much expecting three tough games that give us a chance to try and start as well as we did last year. "

"That’s just finished" – Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham on the club’s transfer activities

Mumbai City FC made a record-breaking deal for Hyderabad FC’s Akash Mishra, immediately after the end of the 2022-23 season. Their search for a solid left-back had been a concern in the past year, leading Buckingham to experiment with several players in that position.

Nonetheless, they have now effectively addressed this issue by signing the 21-year-old. The English tactician opened up about the reasons behind the signing, and what Mishra could potentially offer to the side.

"Everybody knows the quality Akash possesses. He was able to demonstrate that for a couple of seasons at Hyderabad FC. It’s not about picking the best players in the league, which there were several across the teams last year. It’s about making sure to select players that fit the style of football we want and fit the player profile we have here."

He added:

"First, it’s to allow him to contribute to what we want as a collective, and secondly, from a development standpoint – he ticked so many of the boxes we looked for. He’s young, defensively very strong, and he also offers something different in the attacking sense this year. "

Along with Mishra, Mumbai City FC have successfully filled the void left by Ahmed Jahouh and Mourtada Fall. They bolstered their squad depth with the additions of Tiri and Dutch midfielder Yoell Van Nieff.

Furthermore, Bengaluru FC’s Jayesh Rane also joined the ranks. When asked by Sportskeeda about the possibility of more signings, Buckingham was candid and confirmed that the club's transfer business for the window is done. He said:

"No, that’s just finished. We have done our recruitment very early. We have seen a lot of the re-signings recently and that is one thing that gets overlooked. We made seven re-signings from players that were heavily impactful in what we did last year. "

"While there have only been four additions, we have re-signed seven of what I’d class as eleven players. That for me was the most important thing, to make sure we retained the services of those players because they spent a lot of time contributing to what we do."

He added:

"I’m hopeful that’s what Tiri, Jayesh, and Yoell can do, but a lot of that was done early. I’m very happy with the recruitment. It allowed us to have everyone here from day one. So, there is no more planned business for us at the moment, although the window is still open."

Lallianzuala Chhangte joined his head coach in the press conference. The 26-year-old had the best season of his career both individually and collectively, which was marked by numerous accolades including the AIFF Men’s Player of the Year.

Consequently, the question of how the young winger could continue to elevate his performances was thrown at Buckingham.

"For me, it’s not about replicating that form, it’s recognizing that is now the player that is here and the norm we expect from him," Buckingham said.

"Now, it’s a different approach to the development, it’s making sure that he continues to do what he has done and he’s still doing. It’s now about finding solutions to other problems that will come up because people would have seen what he was doing last year and they will come up with different ways to stop that."

He added:

"So, it’s going to be a different development strategy, but one that’s already started. But until the season get’s going, it’s going to be interesting to see how that comes up. Not just Chhangte, it’s the same with all the players we have, they’re very open-minded and hard-working. It’s now the norm and it’s going to be about adding to that to see how good the players can be. "

Chhangte, who also won the 2022 Durand Cup Golden Boot commented on the challenges ahead and discussed the ways to raise the bar even higher in terms of his performances. He said:

"I think it’s going to be like the coach mentioned, players are going to challenge me. But I think, especially in the past few weeks, we’ve got a good squad. The players around me were very helpful and we have been gelling well."

"Most importantly, I can’t be complacent and satisfied. I have to push the boundaries to get even better and this is what I’m trying to do this season. I’m certainly aiming for another Golden Boot. "

Mumbai City FC, who were unfortunately beaten in the 2022 Durand Cup finals, will look to go all the way this time around, especially given the important games coming up after the tournament.

This competition offers a chance for Buckingham's men to start the season on a high note and carry the momentum into the Champions League and the ISL.