The Boss Discusses Another Late Win, A Strong Performance And An Assist From The Fortress

On scoring more goals given the chances created…

I’m happy because we created chances. You’re doing a good job if you have shots on target and you’ve hit the post, because then it’s a question of inches. I think the boys did a great job because it was a difficult game with the opponent defending with a lot of bodies, and so we created chances through the wings. There might not have been a lot of goals tonight, but in another game with the same chances, it could’ve been a different scoreline. But that’s how it is.

On the Blues trying their luck from outside the box…

Pune was compact at the back, which meant we had space outside the box. Our players have the quality to try from distance, with Erik, Xisco, Nishu, and it’s good because then you force the opposition to make a decision – whether to come out and close us down or stay back. I think our players made smart decisions on the pitch today and you can see it with the second goal, when Pune tried closing us down we played that aerial ball to Khabra who crossed in for Bheke to score.

On Dimas’ influence to the style of play…

He is a very important player. You can see that in every game he plays, he is giving a lesson on how you should play football. When to be fast, when to be calm with the ball… We lost him in the final last season, and we lost the game. That’s the influence, but we’re very happy to have him.

On Chencho’s performance…

The best thing for Chencho is to play. To get that minutes under his belt and learn. There are many things happening on the pitch, and as a player you have to take decisions. In the first half, he was pressing and forcing the defenders to fall back, so it gave us space in the midfield. He is only 22-years-old, and he was doing a great job creating chances and had three of them to score. As a team we must help him and he has to keep working hard to be an even better player that he can be.

On the fans’ reaction in the final minutes…

It worked in the last game, so I thought let’s try it again… (on getting the fans to be louder in the final ten minutes). It’s an amazing feeling and it gives you that extra push on the pitch. When you hear those chants, you push yourselves ahead with intent. We don’t need to stress on how important they are for us. They bagged the assists for the two winning goals we have scored at the Fortress.

On winning games by a narrow margin…

We would like to be calmer with a bigger goal difference, so that we don’t have heartbreaks in the final minutes. It is okay if you win by one goal, because at the end its three points. May be the game against Jamshedpur gave us a good lesson on how to play in the final minutes to close out the game. And if we have won quite a few games since that match with a one-goal difference, I can say that our players have learnt that lesson to defend right till the end and I am happy with it.

On the Bheke-Juanan partnership…

I think in general our defense is doing a great job because they are pushing up constantly. At the end, when you push your team that close, you avoid your midfielders and strikers from running a lot, and they’re fresher when they go into the final third. So I’m extremely happy with the work our defence is doing. With Serran out today, Bheke stepped in and he is an intelligent player who takes good decisions on the field. Even Khabra moved back to the right-back position after playing in the midfield for so many games. I have to say that we didn’t suffer much in defence despite the quality that Pune possessed.