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Since the introduction of Juan Ferrando as the new head coach, ATK Mohun Bagan have been flying high in the Indian Super League. The Mariners are currently on a 10-game unbeaten streak.
But Ferrando is already gearing up for a second clash against his former club FC Goa after switching boats mid-season. The Gaurs come into the game against ATKMB on the back of a 5-0 hammering of Chennaiyin FC.
The Goan club have been a curious case this season. While they have dominated matches in terms of possession, they haven't converted their chances regularly.
But head coach Juan Ferrando believes FC Goa will pose a great threat. He said:
"The performance of FC Goa has been good. They have a great squad, they have good players. The other night (against Chennaiyin FC) their performance was top. Normally, they have a chance to be in the top four positions, they are always fighting. They are in a good moment right now. I heard that the players are focussed and happy. But for us it's about focusing on our players and our performance."
In the reverse fixture, ATK Mohun Bagan came away with a narrow 2-1 victory. On whether it will be a similar game this time, Ferrando opined:
"I think the match now is different as the process is not the same for all the clubs. Some clubs had problems with quarantine, positive Covid-19 cases, separate groups of positive and negative cases in training."
He added:
"In all clubs the situation is difficult. It's not possible to improve day by day or training session by training session or game by game. Every team makes the team depending on the available players but it's the same for all the teams. So this game against FC Goa on Tuesday will be different from the last meeting."
For the complete ISL fixtures, click here.
"My plan is only to win the games" - ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Juan Ferrando on his tactical approach
Under former head coach Antonio Habas, ATK Mohun Bagan were a lean, mean defense. But there is a stark difference in Juan Ferrando's approach. The former FC Goa boss plays a lot more expansive football so ATKMB create more chances but fail to keep clean sheets.
Talking about his playing style, Ferrando said:
"My plan is to win the games. Of course, everyone likes 3-0, 4-0 or 5-0 and it's a dream for everyone. But this is not the reality. If you watch the Premier League, Bundesliga or La Liga you will find a few 2-0s or 3-0s but normally it's 2-1 or 3-1."
He added:
"The quality of players here in all the teams is the same. The quality of the coaching staff is the same. The squads more or less are good. Of course, 3-4 teams have two or three players more than the rest of the teams but the ISL for me is good when there are 6-7 teams fighting for the semi-final spots."
ATK Mohun Bagan are now second in the league standings with 26 points from 14 matches. They are three points behind leaders Hyderabad FC, who have played two more matches.
