Reid expects hard but exciting contest
Given the topsy turvy nature of the tournament so far, seventh placed Mumbai City FC are not short on confidence ahead of their 11th round clash in the Hero Indian Super League against cellar team Delhi Dynamos FC in the national capital on Friday night.
“If you look at the league table, you will realise that the league is very tight except for Chennai who have some room at the top. Anyone can beat anyone. We are expecting a hard but exciting game tomorrow,” Mumbai City head coach Peter Reid declared at the pre-match conference.
Mumbai have not been able to score any goals in the past four games and the English gaffer admitted that with André Moritz and Nicolas Anelka missing tomorrow’s game due to injury, it will be even more difficult for his team to get the ball into the Dynamos’ net.
“Scoring goals has been a problem. I have to change the objective of the team. If tomorrow night we go one down, I will change the game because we need points. However, it will be difficult for us because we are missing Anelka and Moritz who arguably are the best attacking players we have. So it is now up to somebody else to take the chance and that’s what we will be looking to do,” Reid explained.
The coach also believes that the league has suffered from a general lack of goals due to the inability of players to finish well and not because of good goalkeeping all the time. Reid however offered his own take on the issue. “The teams are evenly matched and they don’t want to get beaten. They want to win but mostly, they don’t want to be beaten. That is why there haven’t been many goals,” he averred.
The former England and Manchester City manager also revealed that his team has been working on their weakness. “In every practice we have a crossing and finishing session. The players in the session are good but we have to implement it in the match,” he remarked.
Defender and Mumbai City skipper Syed Rahim Nabi hopes his team will take its chances tomorrow. “We have been practising a lot. Whatever chances we get we will make the most of them,” he said.
