Chennai, April 4, (IANS): Coming off the back of a thrilling victory against Mohun Bagan Super Giant in their previous match, Chennaiyin FC are poised to take on Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 fixture at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Thursday with head coach Owen Coyle anticipating it to be a high-intensity clash between two attack-minded teams.
The Marina Machans currently occupy the 10th position in the points table with a total of 21 points and Coyle aims to secure a victory in the next match to enhance their prospects of finishing within the top six and qualifying for the playoffs.
"The only way to have a strong end of the season is by being at our very best. So, it's going to take a big effort because Jamshedpur are a very good side and there are some good players in their team. They are among the teams that likely believe they deserve more points than they currently have. You see some wonderful play and they've got some exciting talents, so this will be as different with a game as it was the other night but when we're at our very best we can win games and that's what we need to do now," commented the head coach during the press-conference before the match.
He added, "We need to look to finish strong, obviously we have two home games in a row. However, right now we're only thinking about Jamshedpur because we need to go and try and get maximum points for obvious reasons and they'll feel the same. I think it's a game between two very attack-minded teams. It will be a typical match, but we know that at our best we can win the game and that's got to be the aim to, as I say, to have a really big shock finish to end this season."
The Scotsman also stressed the importance of consistency for the team at this critical stage of the league, aiming to secure a spot in the playoffs.
He stated, "The only way to get back-to-back wins is to be consistent. It's to play at the same level again, we need another consistent performance and if we do that, it's the right time of the year to bring them because this is the time when you want to be consistent. If you are consistent, it can lead to big results, and big points and gives us an offer to try and play in that final."
"The top five are there and the other teams are fighting for the sixth position as well. We have to make sure that we do everything in our power to try to achieve that and go into the playoffs and as we know anything can happen. But you've got to achieve that first and this is all we will try to do," concluded Coyle.
Chennaiyin FC and Jamshedpur FC have contested 13 matches in the ISL, with the Marina Machans securing victories in five games, while five matches have ended in a tie. Jamshedpur won the three matches.