Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky is eager to secure all three points against Jamshedpur FC as they resume their journey in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Mumbai Football Arena on Sunday.

Mumbai City FC opted for a relatively younger squad for the Kalinga Super Cup, with some key Indian players occupied with national team duties in the AFC Asian Cup. The Islanders topped their group, securing two comeback wins in the process. However, they fell just short against Odisha FC in the semi-final.

Gearing up for the Sunday showdown 👊 pic.twitter.com/3IbIIRhAvY

— Mumbai City FC (@MumbaiCityFC) February 3, 2024

Reflecting on their performance in the Super Cup, the head coach praised the young players.

“I'm very happy. There was a lot of opportunity to give to these young boys and they took it so I'm very happy and looking forward to working with them more,” Kratky said in the pre-match press conference.

“But again we missed a lot of players due to national team duty and (the rest of the) boys took the chance so I was very happy with what I saw again they just need to keep working hard and the future is bright for them,” he added.

The Islanders will face Khalid Jamil’s side for the first time in the league. Similar to Mumbai City FC, the opposition has also reached the semi-finals of the Super Cup.

Kratky acknowledges the strength of the opposition but aims to capitalize on their weaknesses to secure all three points.

“Jamshedpur FC are a quality team. Like every team, they have their strengths but they also have their weaknesses. So we're trying to prepare accordingly towards the game. Again I'm looking forward to them because we didn't play them yet. We need to approach it like every single game and we need to work hard,” the head coach commented.

Mumbai City FC currently sit fourth in the table with 22 points from their opening 11 matches. They have just suffered one defeat all season, which came against Kerala Blasters FC in their previous game. They will aim to resume the campaign on a winning note and pose a challenge to the teams above them.

“Every game is important for us. We are resuming (our action) in the league so we want to start on a good note you know. We want to win and get the three points,” he said.

“I believe this group has strengths and qualities to win every game so I believe in them and back them every day,” Kratky added.

The Islanders will be back in front of their home supporters, aiming to continue their home record from where they left off last time when they played in December against Chennaiyin FC, securing a convincing 3-0 win.

“Home game for me is one of the best games because we train here in Mumbai. We play in Mumbai in front of the fans. So, I’m looking forward to playing good football in front of the fans and hopefully we (will) win,” Kratky commented.

If the coach needs me as a centre-back, I would love to play there as well: Yoell van Nieff

Midfielder Yoell van Nieff joined Petr Kratky in the pre-match press conference. The Dutch midfielder played a key role for the Islanders in the absence of key players. Van Nieff reiterated the sentiments of the head coach, praising the fighting spirit of the young players.

“I think like what I saw is that we had a good plan and it was a clear plan for all of us, especially for the young guys because they could’ve taken the opportunity and they grabbed it with both hands,” he said.

“If we see overall then we can be really satisfied in how we approached the Super Cup even like how we played against certain teams you know we always fought back (like) when we were losing 1-0 we came back to 1-1 and won it by 2-1 scoreline,” van Nieff added.

Primarily a midfielder, the 30-year-old has been seen slotting into the defensive role as well. Speaking in the context of his preferred position, he said, “I came here as a midfielder. So of course I can say (that I would prefer to play) as a midfielder, but if the coach needs me as a centre-back, I would love to play there as well. But yeah I think my first position is the number six.”