Ahead of the highly-anticipated clash against Mumbai City FC, FC Goa’s gaffer Juan Ferrando addressed the media in the pre-match press conference.
FC Goa will miss some key names such as Seriton Fernandes, Ivan Gonzalez and Alberto Noguera in the starting lineup due to injury and suspension.
“I have told this before that we have a very good squad. If we do not have Glan, we have Princeton. If not Princeton, we have Amarjit. Now Ivan is out but we have Adil. In the case of Alberto maybe we can find a new plan. It is not a problem for us. I want to put the best lineup, but it is not possible sometimes because of the injuries and suspensions. I am happy because the team is working hard during training. It is not a big problem for me to choose the best lineup for the match,” said Ferrando.
In the last clash against the Islanders, the Gaurs managed to steal the win and grabbed one point. Speaking of the mentality of the team, the gaffer said,
“The most important thing is that they enjoy the game. If the players enjoy the game, then surely we will have success. Pressure exists throughout because everybody wants to win.“
“It’s very important now to control our emotions. Now, it is not about three points but it is about 180 minutes. We need to put focus tomorrow and on Monday and also take risks and believe in our plan,” he added.
The young goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh has been the first preference since he has joined the Gaurs in the January transfer window. But, even after a poor individual performance in previous matches, the Spaniard threw confidence on him and is continuously giving him chance to improve match-by-match.
“It is very important to help and support them. Dheeraj is 20 years old. If a player like Adil who have more playing experience, makes wrong passes, my target is to improve players by working in training. If we want to improve young players, it is necessary to be close to them and to work on the pitch and to explain and find the solutions. I am very happy because we have a lot of young players. Of course, I hope day-by-day they get better. Supporters must understand to get behind the players in difficult times,” concluded Ferrando.
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