Will try out a few things and be successful in the competition as well: Mumbai City FC gaffer Des Buckingham on the Durand Cup

With the Durand Cup inching closer, Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham assured fans that the Islanders will be fielding their first team for the grand old tournament on Saturday (July 23).

Mumbai's Indian contingent will land in Dubai, where the team is currently hosting a training camp. The foreign players will follow suit in the upcoming days. The Islanders will train in the UAE until August 12 before traveling to Kolkata for the Durand Cup.

The 131st edition of the tournament will start on August 16 and Buckingham stressed that Mumbai City FC will be aiming to be as successful as possible. The 37-year-old said:

"Once all our players reach Dubai, we'll try to get all our players match-fit so we're prepared when we travel for the Durand Cup. It's a tournament we're eagerly looking forward to as we will be taking our entire first team. We'll use those games to be as successful as we can within that competition."

"It's the oldest competition in India and we look forward to playing in front of the fans once again. The cup will give us an opportunity to try a few things out, be successful in the competition and also be ready for next season."

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"I have started to understand the league better" - Des Buckingham on takeaways from the previous ISL season

Mumbai City FC had an underwhelming run in the Indian Super League last term in what was Des Buckingham's first full season in India. However, the Islanders managed to salvage their season with a string of strong performances in the AFC Champions League.

When the Englishman was asked what he learned from the 2021-22 campaign, Des Buckingham averred:

"I have started to understand the league better than when I came to India last season. So we have taken those learnings which will help us this season. But most importantly, it's the working relationship with the players."

"With the eight months that we stayed together last season, the players have been able to understand how we want to play and how we want to go about the business. That gives us a really solid base."

The gaffer wasn't wrong in saying the players have started to steadily understand his approach and style of play better. This was evident in the side's performances against the Asian heavyweights in the Champions League.

It remains to be seen if Des Buckingham and Mumbai City FC will be able to carry that momentum with a revamped squad in the upcoming season.