ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Juan Ferrando has full faith in his players that they will turn around their fortunes and start scoring more goals as they take on Kerala Blasters FC in a crunch game in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, in Kolkata, on Saturday. 

The Mariners need just three points from their last two matches to book a playoff spot ,but the Kolkata giants have been struggling recently having won just two out of their last nine games. They have only netted six times in the last ten matches, but the Spaniard believes the goals will come sooner rather than later for his team. 

“Confidence is important in front of goal and it's not easy when you are not winning games and not scoring many goals. But it's necessary to stay calm,” Ferrando said during the pre-match press conference.  

“We are creating chances and I feel we are very close to scoring goals and we are very close to changing our situation because we are controlling games and if you keep working in the same way, you will certainly have success,” he added. 

The form of forwards Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh has been a big concern for the Mariners with the duo only netting three times among themselves. ATK Mohun Bagan have been heavily reliant on Dimitri Petratos and Hugo Boumous for goals with the duo scoring 60% of their goals this season. 

In fact, November 10 was the last time ATK Mohun Bagan had a different goalscorer apart from Petratos and Boumous and it’s been 13 games since when only either of the two have scored for them. Ferrando though believes it’s important to support the players during this tough period. 

“Manvir was out for almost two months. His injury was difficult and now he is more or less ready,” the Spaniard said. 

“For Liston, he is a part of our team and we support him. In football, the performance is amazing sometimes and sometimes nothing goes right for you. We are woking on the field to change some things because if he has success, the team will have success,” he added. 

Ferrando has stuck with his misfiring forwards and suggested that there are many factors that influence his team selection than their goal tallies. 

“The performances also need to be analysed in other aspects. Sometimes, they are good in pressing and defensive work and then you need these players on the pitch to control these details,” he said. 

“If young players come in and lose the ball in an important moment, then it's not good. There are a lot of details in a good performance and it's not just about how many you score or how often you shoot,” he added. 

ATK Mohun Bagan face Kerala Blasters FC knowing that a win will secure qualification and Ferrando urged his team to stick together in difficult situations. 

“This team is a strong team and they need to show character. We didn't have success in the last few matches and we are disappointed. But difficult times are the best moments to work together and to decide on a plan and follow it,” he said. 

“We just need to think about what is best for the team and the club and that is to win the last two matches and then we can think about preparing for the playoffs,” he added. 

The Mariners could secure qualification even without having to get a win if other results go their way but Ferrando reiterated that their aim is to finish as high as possible in the table. 

“For us, there is no question of relaxing. Our focus is on ourselves. We know that it's in our hands to finish third and that's very important for the club,” he said. 

“I am not thinking about other results, we are just thinking about Kerala Blasters FC and which players would be the best suited for the game. We are playing at home so it's important to play good football, play with good intensity and show good character,” he concluded.