Mumbai City FC head coach Peter Reid during the post-match press conference.Mumbai City’s form has taken a nosedive in the last two games, with two straight three-goal defeats. Having gone on a string of five consecutive clean sheets, the defence has now conceded seven goals in two games after Delhi Dynamos’ 4-1 win over them in Delhi. Reid acknowledged at the post-match press conference that the opposition were better on the day.“We got what we deserved, we were second best all over the pitch and they were worthy winners,” conceded Reid. “We didn’t defend well enough as a team. We didn’t pass the ball well enough and it was a disappointing evening.”“They were better than us all over the pitch,” reiterated the gaffer. “We weren’t strong in our tackles. Everything about our football was second-best today.”The defensive issues are no doubt a concern for Reid, given that they have resurfaced after the hard work the team put in during that run of clean sheets. “We didn’t pick up runners at the middle of the park and we were poor at the back,” bemoaned the former England manager. “We have to work on the training ground.”Hans Mulder’s opener for Delhi on the stroke of halftime particularly irked Reid, as he was certain that the first goal would prove to be decisive in this fixture. “In the first goal, the midfield runners got of us,” he rued. “It’s a clearance which, from our point of view, should be an easy one. And I thought that in this game, the first goal would be crucial.”Abhishek Yadav’s late goal when Mumbai City were 3-0 down was mere consolation, although it did look like they might add another to make it 3-2 and set up an exciting finish at a few instances. The goal was Mumbai’s first in five games, and Reid addressed the ongoing struggles at the attacking end of the pitch.“I think we give the ball away too much even in comfortable possession,” said the former Everton defensive midfielder. He then responded to a question regarding the team’s morale given the losses and attacking struggles by saying, “When you’re not scoring goals your heads tend to drop.”The head coach is ready to take on the challenge of effecting another turnaround, similar to his team’s response after their last two-game losing streak. The team went on a five-game unbeaten run after losses to NorthEast United and Chennaiyin, and a similar effort will be required over the next three games to finish in the top four and qualify for the semifinals. “I’ve got to find the answers,” Reid emphasised, before looking ahead to Mumbai City’s next game, an away fixture against Pune City on December 3. “I think we’ve got a realistic chance at Pune, that’s all we can hope for. We’re just going to focus on Pune.”
