Mumbai City FC head coach Alexandre Guimaraes hopes his team will go from strength to strength in their second half of the league stage of the 2016 Hero ISL. The Mumbaikars have gathered 11 points from seven matches so far and look to be on course as far as the semi-finals are concerned. They beat 2014 winners Atlético de Kolkata in their last match on October 25, and ahead of their game against defending champions Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Wednesday, Guimaraes looked refreshed and confident.“We used it [the break] to recharge our batteries. Everybody knows that we have a tough schedule. We have three or four regulars injured. So we took our time to help those players recover. We also tried to introduce other ideas and plans for the second phase. So I think the break came like a blessing as we had time to be at home, to recover, to practice, taking our time, knowing we don't have to hurry, and like I said, recharging our batteries,” Guimaraes told reporters on Tuesday.“Every game is different. I don't know how many chances we can make tomorrow. But what I'm sure of is that our players are becoming clearer about the philosophy and the way we have to play as per what opponent we're facing. Home or away, we're showing our play game by game. I'm waiting to see which players are available for tomorrow. Some of them are still recovering. I hope I can have eighty percent of the team fit and ready for tomorrow.“I think all of us start the season thinking of a range of points to get into the top four. But as the games go on, the league shows us that this season to go to the top four maybe we'll need around two or three points fewer [semis qualification points from the last two seasons]… We're in the right direction. We're aiming to take points. It's very important to take points.”Despite confidence in the Mumbai camp, their record against Chennaiyin is not to be proud of at all having lost all of their previous four encounters against the Super Machans. But Guimaraes believes there is always a first time for everything and it could be their day against the defending champions on Wednesday.“First of all, our squad is totally different from the last two seasons. I don't think I have any player that has this memory. It's a different situation. We know that we're going to play against the champions, who have been working with a philosophy and a set of players for more time than us. I feel that we're doing well and we have to keep doing well to pick points from here,” he said.Marquee player Diego Forlan scored the winner in Mumbai’s win against ATK in their last match. In fact, he has played a big role in all of their three wins so far. Guimaraes has no complaints from the legendary Uruguayan. “When Forlan plays, he usually scores or assists. When he plays, the other teams are more aware and have more focus on dealing with him. When he plays, the TV ratings sky up. When he plays, the stadium turnout is better. When he plays, our players feel better. What else can you ask of a marquee player?" the Costa Rican said.When asked how he plans to deal with Chennaiyin’s unpredictability in regard to their team selection, the 56-year-old said, “Football is always unpredictable. However much you try to dissect, it always comes as a surprise. You never know. That is what is good for football. If you can predict everything, it becomes very boring. In our case, we try to alert our players about their capacity of play, their fighting spirit and about the atmosphere. What I've seen here with the crowd and the stadium is that it's a good atmosphere to play in. We know there are a few players who're not going to play, but like we showed in Kolkata, there are a few guys waiting on the sidelines for an opportunity to show that they are there. I hope that happens against Chennaiyin as well.”
