The Hero Indian Super League (ISL) resumes action from Wednesday after the conclusion of the first international break of the 2018-19 season, with Delhi Dynamos FC welcoming home ATK at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Steve Coppell and his men will be hoping to emerge triumphant in their first match on the road, after two back-to-back losses on the spin at home. A day prior to the fixture, the visitors head coach Steve Coppell was present at the pre-match press conference to give his insights on the team’s preparations.

The Englishman started off by speaking about the reason behind his team’s slow start to the campaign, while also talking about his approach. “First and foremost, we are just looking forward to the game, obviously after our last defeat. We didn’t give ourselves much of a chance of a victory in our last game, obviously because we had a player sent off after 30 minutes. As I always say, it’s not a good idea to play football 10 vs 11, if you want to win football games. This is a chance to get ourselves on the right foot and we are looking forward to the challenge. “

The 63-year-old was asked whether the addition of new players and an overhaul of the squad was one of the reasons behind ATK’s dismal start, to which he said, “Was it expected? No. Because we wanted to have a fast start and come out of the gates really quickly. I know I’ve got some good players. Obviously now, I could reflect and say it’s just a question of everyone gelling together. But the solution to these problems invariably is just hard work and commitment. Over the past 10-12 days, when we have been training, I’ve certainly got hard work and commitment. So, I hope we get a response. I always believe you get out what you put in. We intend to put a lot in and we will like to get a lot out.”

Coppell concluded by shedding some light on the problems faced by Kalu Uche’s late arrival, who returns to Delhi to play against his former club, while also emphasising his importance in the squad. “We had visa issues with Kalu Uche. So, he never really arrived in Kolkata literally, until the morning of our first game. He hadn’t trained for a couple of weeks. We have worked hard with Kalu to integrate him back in the squad and to get him involved in all our practices, and he’s responded to that. So, going forward, given his goal count from last season, he’s obviously going to be a big factor for us in accumulating points.”

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