Mumbai City FC marquee player-cum-coach Nicolas Anelka wants his team to put in a last-ditch effort in their quest for a semi-final spot in the 2015 Hero Indian Super League. Mumbai, who are currently seventh in the eight-team league with 12 points from 11 matches, will host Kerala Blasters FC at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on Thursday and any result other than a win will signal an end to their campaign and Anelka doesn’t want to go down without a fight.“We expected to be in the top four. It’ll be very hard to reach the target. But still we’re hoping for a better place because mathematically, we still have a chance and now, we have to win three games. So we start first with the Kerala game, and take one step at a time,” Anelka told reporters on Wednesday.Mumbai conceded nine goals in their last two defeats – seven against FC Goa and two against NorthEast United FC – and when asked if the team was in the right frame of mind following the demoralising losses, Anelka said: “All I can say is that the team, being aware of the current situation, is focussed towards getting three points from each game. It’s going to be difficult for the team. But this is where you get to see the fighting spirit. If we are strong in our heads, we will make a comeback.”Mumbai were one of the pre-league favourites on account of a very talented squad. When asked to explain Mumbai’s current situation despite the presence of many top players, Anelka said: “It’s the quality. After 2-3 games, you can be surprised but after 11 games, we are where we deserve to be. If we don’t qualify, it’s because we’re not good enough.”Anelka also acknowledged the quality of Terry Phelan’s Kerala Blasters FC, equally desperate to win on Thursday. “They’re strong. Most of them are English and I know their fighting spirit. They’re young, fast and also strong mentally. It’s going to be a hard game against Kerala, like the one in Kerala [Mumbai’s away game]. Most important is to put up a good fight on the pitch and come back with three points,” the former France international said.
