ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Juan Ferrando encouraged his side to keep working hard after the Mariners couldn't convert their chances against Jamshedpur FC in a 0-0 draw in the latest fixture of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, in Jamshedpur, on Thursday.

The game ended in a stalemate, in what was the third goalless draw of the season. The result meant ATK Mohun Bagan stayed in the fourth spot with 28 points from 17 games, while Jamshedpur FC lay in the tenth spot with 13 points from 18 games.

The Mariners have struggled to score goals despite creating enough chances. They have scored 20 goals from 15 games so far, which is the third lowest tally this season. Ferrando sees hard work in difficult situations as the only solution to solve their goalscoring issues. 

“The solution is to help the entire team continue working hard in difficult situations.There is not a time to cry, we need to keep working and support the mentality (of the players). I know we are missing chances, that is a problem for me (missing chances), but today we were unlucky,” Ferrando said in the official post-match press conference.

ATK Mohun Bagan had more share of the ball against Jamshedpur FC, although both teams had seven shots on target respectively in what was an end-to-end constest. Ferrando was impressed with the performance of the home team.

“The performance of the (Jamshedpur FC) players was good because they are ready to play in this system,” he stated while speaking about Jamshedpur FC’s game.

“They controlled the second balls well, they had opportunities in the last phase of the game. The plan of their team is the same, and in football, it is important to control the tempo, and at the end, everyone wants to play well in the transitions. Jamshedpur FC have a good squad, they have young, hard working players, so they are a good team to play against,” he added.

ATK Mohun Bagan needs to rediscover their goal-scoring touch soon if they are to make it into the playoffs. The Mariners have scored three goals in the last five games, failing to find the net on three occasions. It is a concern for the Ferrando, who wants his players to focus on their mentality and start converting their chances.

“When the team wants to win, it loses focus in defense and when you are in minute 75 and the score is level, the mentality is to attack, where you lose transitions in defense. We need to learn about this and score to win matches, it is important to control the game,” he commented.