Chennaiyin FC head coach Thomas Brdaric hopes to use the opportunities they would get against Odisha FC when they clash in the in the Hero Indian Super league (ISL) 2022-23 on Thursday. The Gaffer believes both the team would like to play offensive football but cautioned that his players should be very well organized and disciplined in the match. 

Both the teams look forward to kickstart the matchweek 8 with a cracker after win in their previous match and will eye another win on Thursday to put them in the top three in the points table.

Thomas Brdaric attended the official pre match press conference along with Sourav Das, who got the first start of the season in the last match. The coach talked about how they are building a new Chennaiyin FC, injury updates ahead of the match.

Here are the excerpts from Brdaric' conference:

You're coming off an important victory against Jamshedpur FC. What are your thoughts going into this game?

Brdaric: Yes, we (have arrived) healthy here in the town and we're welcomed well here and we are pursuing our targets. We want to follow our game in a professional way to face Odisha FC how we have to, because Odisha FC (are having) a good season, have an experienced coach. (Josep Gombau) is a good human and (I have) a good relationship with him. And I know he wants to beat me and to beat us and we have to face them in a professional way to show our abilities. I'm looking forward to this match because it will be a very interesting match against Odisha FC, both teams, they want to play football and it will be an open game. We should be very good organised and disciplined. And now we try to inflict defeat on them

Any injury concerns going into this game?

Brdaric: We suffer of course, like all teams in the middle of this season with kind of injuries, but we try to deal with that in a professional way. We have enough players for Thursday's match and that's decisive. Obviously (Anirudh) Thapa and (Jiteshwor) singh are not arrived here with the squad, they need a little more time. (Kwame) Karikari is in the squad and he feels good.

Odisha FC as a club is known for making comebacks late in the second-half. How have you shaped up in terms of your tactics, in terms of dealing with that?

Brdaric: Yeah, we of course analyse Odisha FC and what I said before they try to implement their strengths and their strengths are in offensive of course, how we can deny this (scoring) and we are working, we have a short week, we don't have too much time for this match on Thursday, that's why everything must be suitable and we don't have to give them spaces that they can exploit, and our pressing on Thursday must be very well.

What are preparations ahead of the Odisha FC game?

Brdaric: I enjoy every day working here with the team and to put it setting our targets and the aim is to win the matches. This is the most important thing to have good results. So to face Odisha FC on Thursday, they want us to play football. On one side we should enjoy this match, but on the other side we have to work hard and to have this in good balance is the most important thing to me all the time. To balance out and don't forget what you need to implement in matches to be stable against the ball, to work hard to move together and to find good pressing moments and of course to create chances because we used to create a lot of chances and just hope to use the opportunities for us.

Are you expecting a high scoring game on Thursday?

Brdaric: Of course it will be, how I said before, both teams like to play offensive and it depends on a lot of things. How you play against the ball, how Odisha FC plays against the ball. So, but sometimes when you expect a lot of goals, it will be maybe a less goal(scoring) match. That's why, let's take the surprise for Thursday.

How has it been so far for you, you know, at Chennaiyin FC? How has the city been treating you so far?

Brdaric: Yeah, I feel very well with my coaching team and staff and the players. But we should also understand that we are building a new Chennaiyin FC and in my opinion until now we are creating a team who is tough to beat and it's a kind of understanding and realistic judgment of results and developments about conditions. So we want to develop ourselves step by step and the fans, they support us. That's why It was pure happiness to win last week at home in a tough game against Jamshedpur FC because they are the reigning champion and to face them and to win it's not that easy and to catch points, this gives us a good understanding about the measuring what you're doing during the week. If you have good results then everything is easier and when we keep together as a team and that means not only what happens on the field, also the surroundings and we can lift up as a club very well.

Last season was a shorter season and in the bubble. This year it's a longer season, with the teams playing in the Durand Cup and the Hero ISL and then the Super Cup. Do you think having a longer season, like playing the Durand Cup has helped you in some way or the other going into the Hero ISL season?

Brdaric: That's why we are here. We are not here to waste our time. We want, of course, to catch good results with the team. But also we want to develop Indian football. So because I see a lot of potential, we had a coaching forum in Mumbai and it's a way and in this way we have to understand, to work together (clubs, referees, the federation). We all make wrong decisions but we should learn from them and to have our understanding that the Hero ISL is now in its ninth season. So I spoke with people who worked before here and they said it was really wild here in India. I came here, we are still a little bit wild, but it's not that far away from better leagues or more improved leagues and when we are keeping (up) together and trying to find every time, good solutions to develop the Indian football, This could be a good way for the future that we get more stronger that we get more reputation about Indian football because the national team is little bit behind and this is a clear sign where Indian football has to improve. So now it's the World Cup (time), everybody is showing on the World Cup and it's a good target for the next games that Indian football will be in, in some of these kinds of tournaments. So if Indian football grows up, this is all our aim and objective.

It is always better to praise the opponent, but what is the real view?

Brdaric: Real view is that we are behind Odisha FC and after the match the target is to be in front of Odisha FC (in the points table). I mean that's why we are here.

One player who you think will make the difference for you in the Odisha FC match?

Brdaric: For me it's decisive that the whole team works and if somebody is out of the match because he (gets to)decide the match, then he's welcome. But we are watching for a team, how could we work together and we have abilities we want to bring it on Thursday on the field and (whether) we succeed we will see tomorrow.

Here are excerpts from Sourav Das's conference:

How has it been so far playing under the coach?

Das: First, I enjoy being with the coach because in the training and in the matches all the same because in the training he always pushes everyone and in the match also the same. It doesn't matter training or match. So we all are enjoying it and also we are fighting for the coach and team and all the spectators.

You are playing at Chennaiyin FC? What has been your experience in the season so far?

Das: It's like my fourth match if I'm playing but so far it's a very good experience for me and Obviously I am playing against everyone, but now it is the first time I'm playing for Chennaiyin FC and it's a pleasure for me to play for Chennai.

Any personal targets that you want to achieve with Chennaiyin FC this year?

Das: Personal targets are like that of every Indian footballer. I have to play more advanced for the team and playing for good and good results for the team and playing for the national team. That's the target.