Jamshedpur FC head coach Aidy Boothroyd has urged his players to cut down on the silly errors that keep costing the team full points as they take on Chennaiyin FC in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) on Saturday at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur. 

The Red Miners have picked up just one win from 12 games so far this season and Boothroyd feels defensive discipline is the first step towards a change in fortunes. 

“Every day has to be a good defending day. A clean sheet is very important and that's something we need to be working on in the short term,” Boothroyd said during the pre-match press conference ahead of the Chennaiyin FC match. 

“Conceding stupid, early goals has affected our points tally and it is clearly something we need to work on,” he added. 

Jamshedpur FC have improved in the last few games and managed to hit back after conceding an early goal against Kerala Blasters FC, but their defence let them down in the second half as they lost the match 1-3. 

In the previous match against FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC were denied full three points as a slip in concentration allowed the visitors to score a late equaliser.

“We need to make sure that we go the first 15 or 30 minutes and eventually all the way through the game being consistent in what we are doing in terms of our defending,” Boothroyd said. 

The signing of Rafael Crivellaro has boosted Jamshedpur FC who have scored three goals in their last two matches in contrast to three goals in their eight games prior to that. The Englishman though feels his players need to be more composed in the final third. 

“With what we have and what's come in in terms of the players, we can create. We now need to convert those chances,” he said. 

“I think we are getting into good areas but we don't have that final pass or the weight of the touch is still not quite there and needs to be improved. The more chances we get, the more goals we will score. We are working on scoring from set-plays and open play with different ways of attacking through the centre and wide areas,” he added. 

For Crivellaro, who joined the Red Miners from Chennaiyin FC, the game will be an emotional one, but he feels his connections with his former team will have no bearing on his performance. 

“Of course, I know how they play but whichever team does well on the day will win the match. I don't think how much I know about the players or the team will make a lot of difference,” he said. 

Jamshedpur FC would want to end the season strongly to give them momentum for the next season but for Chennaiyin FC, it’s a chance to close the gap on sixth-place Odisha FC who sit just five points ahead of them in the table having played a game more.