ISL 2023-24: We have to cut out on individual mistakes and look to pick up – Chennaiyin FC’s Owen Coyle

Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle feels it is imperative for his team to cut out on individual mistakes and wants the players to pick themselves up for the upcoming matches. The Marina Machans suffered a 3-1 loss against defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the ongoing Indian Super League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

Owen Coyle’s team has got off to a horrid start in the ongoing season as they have lost all of their three matches. Dimitri Petratos scored the opening goal for the visitors whereas Jason Cummings was able to double the lead.

Crivellaro got one back for Marina Machans in the second half but Manvir Singh scored the third goal for the tourists.

In fact, the home team could only take one shot on target and scored from it. But Coyle reckons they didn’t take their chances in the first half against the Mariners.

“We had two best chances at 0-0 to get in front and we didn’t take them. And that’s probably been the story of our three games. We had wonderful chances at Odisha and NorthEast to get in front, so we need to be clinical in front of goal,” Coyle said in the post-match press conference.

Coyle admitted the individual mistakes cost them the game but backed his players to bounce back in the upcoming matches.

“(We made) a couple of individual errors. And then we got back to 2-1 and then we saw Chennaiyin FC in the second half, and within 40 seconds of scoring, we actually gifted them a goal. It was a throw-in and the Mohun Bagan (Super Giant) players went on and scored. It’s not the start we wanted… But it’s about 22 games in the season and not three games. We’d like to have won points and we could have. There were a lot of positive things in different periods in the game,” he said.

The English manager wants his team to pick themselves up in the forthcoming matches in order to turn the tables.

“We have to cut out individual mistakes and look to pick up. This result was going to be a big, big job. I’ve not come in here and inherited a team of champions. I’ve come in here and inherited a team that has just been once in the playoffs for one season and that was the season when they were at the bottom and I came in and we changed that. And that’s what we’re doing. We’re working hard, it’s a young group, and they will get better and we showed tonight against a very good side. We scored one goal and could have easily had two-three in the game. We’ll continue to take the punches, in the nose. It’s not a nice feeling. But that’s football,” Coyle stated.

Chennaiyin FC will next take on Hyderabad FC at the GMC Balayogi Stadium, Hyderabad on 23rd October.