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Jamshedpur FC, who have been far from their best in the Indian Super League this season, surprised everyone with their fascinating showing in the recently concluded Kalinga Super Cup.
The Red Miners, reeling from a managerial change after Scott Cooper was sacked and was Khalid Jamil brought in, managed to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament by topping Group B.
They remained unbeaten in the group phase but were defeated 0-2 in the semi-final by eventual champions East Bengal. Despite the result, Jamshedpur won hearts with their fearless displays of attacking football.
Striker Thongkhosiem 'Semboi' Haokip, who played a vital role for the Red Miners in the tournament, sat down with Sportskeeda to outline the club's plans for the second phase of the ISL. Jamshedpur will host NorthEast United FC on January 31.
"There is no fixed leader of the attack. I have done my best in the chances that I have got. I am doing my best to help my team in any way I can," says Haokip.
"We have been working hard. We know that the first phase of the ISL did not go well for us and this means that we have lots of work to do in the second phase. All the players have been concentrating on the task at hand and putting in the hard yards at training," he added.
"Coach Khalid has spoken to us regarding what he wants from us" - Semboi Haokip
The forward, who bagged a goal in the third game in the group phase against Shillong Lajong, was brilliant with his curving balls into the attacking third. He was also instrumental in one-on-one play against opposition defenders and applauded for the way he brought his teammates into the attack.
Haokip found himself leading the attack in the semi-final when Daniel Chima Chukwu was suspended after earning a red card earlier in the tournament against Kerala Blasters. He did exceptionally well against his former club but could not quite breach the watertight defence manned by Jose Pardo and Hijazi Maher.
Haokip was asked about the impact this performance in the Super Cup would have on the Red Miners in the ISL.
"The mood was quite disappointing being this low in the ISL table. However, we made a lot of improvements in the Super Cup. We have worked hard and hopefully, we can carry this form into the second phase of the ISL. Our fans back us very well, and they carry us forward in challenging times. We would like them to come out in numbers to support us in the second phase as well," said Haokip.
The forward also highlighted the impact that new head coach Jamil has made on the team and what he expects from his players.
"Coach Khalid has spoken to us regarding what he wants from us and what his expectations are. Now we are working hard on the pitch trying to implement that. We have a lot of plans and all we have to do now is execute them on the pitch and win games consistently," he concluded.
