Jamshedpur FC have lost their early-season grip on a top four place in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2018-19 table. Despite losing just one match all season, Cesar Ferrando’s men aren’t assured a playoff place primarily due to a couple of recent hiccups that has seen them fall to fifth with 16 points. However, they have their fate in their own hands and will be hoping to kickstart a winning run when they welcome a winless Delhi Dynamos FC outfit to the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Wednesday.

Ferrando spoke to reporters at his pre-match press conference and began by reflecting on his side’s previous match. “The last match (against Kerala Blasters FC) was a very difficult match for us and we only got three days of rest (in the buildup to that game) after the match against NorthEast. After the match my players were tired. We had two chances to score but they are a good team. They wanted to win. It was a difficult match for us,” Ferrando said.

Despite facing a side yet to win this season, Ferrando refused to take the Dynamos lightly. The Spaniard pointed at the competitiveness of the league where any team can beat the other on their day. “I think all the teams in the league are very strong teams. They played very well and the first task for us is to keep a clean sheet. We want to win and then improve our attacking skills. This is what we need to do. But it is a short league and every match is difficult to win. I think we are ready to play tomorrow against Delhi,” Ferrando commented.

The Spaniard also confirmed that winger Michael Soosairaj would not be available for selection due to injury. He then went on to further assess the Dynamos. “We have a lot of will to win the game. Sergio Cidoncha’s injury has been a big blow for us. But we are going to play against Delhi. We need to win to be at the front of the league. I am very happy with the team. Everyone is working very hard. The most important thing is to not make a mistake tomorrow. Keep a clean sheet and play at our pace. If we want to win, we have to play at our pace and block their pace. But every match is difficult to win in this league,” Ferrando opined.

Tim Cahill’s impact on Jamshedpur hasn’t been as decisive as many had expected. When asked about the cause behind the Australian’s lack of influence, Ferrando explained, “We can play with and without Tim. When Tim is on the field, we need to play direct. On the second ball. Without him, we can play counter-attack. We can play a passing game. We can play different game. We have to adapt our style depending on the players. If we want to be a strong team, we need to master all the styles. Playing short, playing long. We like to play short with a lot of combinations. But if you want to win, sometimes you need to play long too. We need to win the match and you need different players to play long and short.”

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