FC Goa head coach Juan Ferrando wants his team to use their current situation as a challenge and bounce back in their match against NorthEast United FC in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Goa.

The Gaurs have lost both their opening matches against Mumbai City FC and Jamshedpur FC, having conceded six goals in the same. Meanwhile, they are set to face NorthEast United FC, who are also winless in the three matches they have played.

Ferrando addressed the media during the pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s match:

Here are the excerpts from the press conference:

FC Goa have conceded six goals in the first two matches, do you think that the absence of Brandon Fernandes in the midfield was responsible for the result?

Ferrando: Of course not, if you watch the six goals conceded, it was due to some mistakes in set-pieces, this is not the solution. Of course, Brandon is a good player. But, we have 29 players in the squad. The result was not due because a player was not playing. We are a team, and we shared the responsibility in defence, in attacks and also goals conceded.

With the two losses in the first two games, how is the morale of the team going into the next game?

Ferrando: It’s not good, it is not a happy moment for everybody, we are upset, but this is football as a sport. We have very good players and when the results are not good, the most important thing is to wake up everyday and continue working. I think this is the mentality of us and the club. Day by day, they will become a strong team, it is a good challenge for us to change and work in this situation.

What are your views about NorthEast United FC going into the game?

Ferrando: It is going to be a difficult game, since none of the team started with good results. I’m sure they will have their best plan for us. But, minute by minute, we will get more confidence on the pitch and don’t get scared about anything. We’ll get opportunities and in the end, what’s important is the three points.

FC Goa goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh was also present in the press conference and also addressed to questions put forward:

FC Goa conceded very few goals in the last season and also the AFC Champions League. What do you think is going wrong and are you confident that FC Goa will soon start showing its true colours?

Dheeraj Singh: It is just the start of the season, we have just played two games. But, we did not play well, we did not pick ourselves after the first two games. But we have a lot of matches coming up, and tomorrow is a new day.

We’ve been looking for our first win, of course, we trust the process, we trust the players and we have quality players. So, it’s just the beginning, we have to go on, keep on fighting, and hopefully we will start to perform at the optimum level in the next game and continue with good performances.

If you keep aside the results in the past two matches, do you think this team is stronger than the one last year?

Dheeraj Singh: We almost have the same squad and also a lot of young players coming up and adding more qualities to the squad. As I said, it is the beginning of the season, and we are working as a team, we are working as a unit. We believe in the process and I believe that we have a strong team and hopefully, we are just looking forward to win more games.