Mumbai City FC assistant coach Steve Darby.It’s payback time for Mumbai City FC’s defence, insisted their assistant coach Steve Darby as he presided over the pre-match press conference ahead of their clash with table toppers Chennaiyin FC in Navi Mumbai on Sunday evening.Complimenting his side’s excellent defensive display over the last five games, where they have not conceded a single goal, Darby stated that it was up to the strikers to repay the team’s defenders, “We have been training and practising a lot, finishing, in particular. We have been wonderful defensively and have been very hard to break down. The strikers need to chip in with some goals now. That’s the only way to complement your defence,” he averred.The Englishman however said the good thing is that Mumbai City are still creating chances: “In our last game against FC Goa, we created some good ones. We did not deserve to win by a huge margin against them, but I thought that we could have won 1-0 or 2-0. Sometimes, you need a bit of luck, a deflection or a penalty kick to help open the floodgates. We are a bit dry on that front. All we can do is continue to work hard and hope that our boys take their chances when they appear.”Asked if his club were wary of Chennaiyin FC especially since the first leg meeting between the two ended in a huge defeat for the current hosts, Darby was quick to respond, “When a side gets beaten comprehensively, it takes a lot of effort for the players to get over the disappointment and get back on track. I am happy that our team has done so.”Darby also revealed that his side would have to alter tactics as Elano Blumer and John Stiven Mendoza will not play against them due to injuries, “Nobody wants to see players getting injured. But I would be a hypocrite if I said I am not worried if he was playing. Elano has been fantastic throughout the tournament. You cannot give a free kick in your own half away if you are playing against him.“Mendoza has been terrific as well, with his goals and his pace. Chennai will miss them for sure. Now that all the teams are battling for points, the league is getting tighter and tighter. It is probably the most competitive league that I have taken part in. In my opinion six out of the eight teams can win the league and at least seven could qualify for the top four,” he suggested.When asked if he was planning to make changes on the attacking front, Darby retorted, “Anybody who thinks that we will drop players like (Nicolas) Anelka or (André) Moritz is a very brave man because you will have to bring two world-class players in to replace those two.” The Englishman also provided an update on the fitness status of marquee player Freddie Ljungberg and club captain Syed Rahim Nabi. “Both of them are in the squad and will train today evening. We will be assessing their progress and take a call on it tomorrow. We do not want to rush them back prematurely,” he stated.Mumbai City’s young and talented midfielder Lalrindika Ralte, who was also present at the press conference, dismissed worries over his perceived lack of form, “I am training very hard every single day and I know that one goal or an assist can change everything. I am not worried about anything. What matters is that I give my best every time I am out there on the pitch.”“I am not worried about this lad,” Darby added, “He has a terrific left foot and trains brilliantly. It’s just a matter of translating that onto the pitch. All our players have been excellent in terms of their behaviour and their professionalism. We do not have rules and we have never had to fine any player because these guys have not broken any rules. They are a credit to themselves and their respective countries.”
