NorthEast United FC head coach Ricki Herbert has sought to downplay suggestions that his young team, which has dished out an attacking brand of football, had performed above expectations in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL).Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the fixture against FC Pune City at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium tomorrow, the New Zealand gaffer said, “We’re still a work in progress. I’m pleased that everyone has been contributing and we’ve played decent football, but we have to continue to do better.”Herbert, who coached New Zealand at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and famously was the only manager not to lose a game in the championship, appeared indifferent to the possibility that a win against the hosts would put his team on 11 points, the same as league leaders Atlético de Kolkata, in the ISL. “Though that is the aim (league leadership), we have to play well on the given day and try and win the game,” he averred.The Highlanders will be on the road for a while, but Herbert is focused on the positives of the grinding schedule. “It’s been good so far,” he said about the run of away fixtures in their schedule. “We’ve been playing good football and are enjoying ourselves.”Herbert does have an injury concern over Zambian midfielder Isaac Chansa, who had picked up a knee injury in Mumbai, but thankfully, it’s not serious. “Isaac has started training. We thought he’d take longer to recover, but he’s doing better than expected. If not tomorrow, he’s certainly in contention to play against Chennaiyin FC (on November 8),” he revealed.On the subject of fan support, which has been consistent for NorthEast United in their two away games so far, Herbert stated, “I think there will be a lot of fans. There is a nice connection we have with the fans, which happens when you play well, and I think we can look forward to that in Pune as well!”Meghalaya forward Redeem Tlang, who was also present at the press conference, added, “Yes, I think our team can expect the same fan support we have experienced throughout the tournament.”
