The young NorthEast United FC unit have caught everybody’s attention with their scintillating pace in attack and their solid composure in midfield and defence. But what has pegged them back in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) is their lack of goals. In the eight matches they have played so far, they have found the back of the net only six times which has left them struggling in the sixth position on the table.Their frontman James Keane however did not look worried about their inability in front of the goal. “We played very good football so far, we have been very solid in defence, we have been unlucky maybe when it comes to scoring, but I am sure that goals will come,” the English striker said at the press conference on the eve of their match against the league toppers Atlético de Kolkata.NorthEast United head coach Ricki Herbert, who was also present at the press conference, also concurred, “I don’t think it’s a worry, maybe, we are just 90 minutes away from beating somebody 5-0. We have been very dominant in 95% of our games. We just have to convert our chances into goals in tomorrow’s game.”Asked to give his opinion as to why goals are drying up in the league, the former New Zealand coach at the 2010 World Cup said it was nothing unusual at this stage of the tournament.Herbert did not agree with a suggestion that the recent poor form of their opponents could be an advantage for his side. “They had a very good start, but recently, they have lost some momentum. But that does not surprise me as it has been a very tough competition,” he opined. On the contrary, Herbert felt that the hosts would enjoy a huge advantage for tomorrow by virtue of the fact that they had trained regularly on artificial turf.Herbert was also not interested in dubbing the fixture as a revenge match. Rather, he was keen to focus on his team’s internal dynamics. “If we play well, we are a tough team to beat; we have come here to play well; it is going to be very competitive in the coming few weeks, we just have to keep playing well,” he said.Speaking on the challenge NorthEast United are facing on the road, Herbert observed, “I don’t think the difference of altitude is going to be a problem. We enjoy being on the road, the foreign recruits get an idea of the country they are playing in, and the young boys from India gather great experience playing in front of an away crowd.”Finally, holding forth on the merits of the ISL, Herbert concluded, “It’s a great opportunity for footballers in India, almost 50% of the footballers in this tournament are Indians and they are doing a terrific job. There are 20,000-22,000 people coming to watch the football in every game, the quality of football that is happening here is incredible.“As far as the rankings are concerned, New Zealand were ranked 156th once and they still went to the World Cup and remained unbeaten. Rankings are something that sometimes take time to move, so it’s the football here which is important and that has been very, very exciting.”
