ISL: Jamshedpur FC take on Punjab at the Furnace today

Not underestimating any team, said head coach Scott Cooper

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Oct 21:  Fresh from their win at home vs Hyderabad and a welcome international break, Jamshedpur FC host Punjab at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Sunday . .

The Furnace is ready and Men of Steel are confident of posting another win in front of the home crowd.

Jamshedpur head coach Scott Cooper said at a pre-match press meet on Saturday that it is important to mix it up because rest is valuable, but at the same time, you have to remember that you’re in the middle of the seasonnon training during an international break. “We had to vary the intensity levels in training. You also worry about not injuring your players. It’s a balance,” he added.

On the current league standings, he said: “Well, you could say eighth; I could say joint fifth or fourth. It’s the same number of points. We don’t even play tonight, and we can move up in the standings. We could be at six tonight with the results. I don’t see us as eighth; I consider us in the top five because we’re level on points.

On Punjab FC, Copper stated: “How do I view Punjab? I don’t underestimate any team. We’ve watched their games here; they’ve been unlucky. They had one goal, which was 100% a goal, canceled. They also had one penalty, which was 100% a penalty, canceled. If VAR had been present, Punjab might have had different results. We know they’re a good team.

Asked about Ritwik Das’ availability, Cooper said he (Ritwik)is available. He’s even ready to play. Am I ready to play him yet? You’ll have to find out,”.

On the dynamism Rei Tachikawa brings compared to Indian players, Cooper said: “We should be careful about making comparisons between football players just because they hold a different passport. It doesn’t matter to me where you’re from; what matters is the quality you bring. Rei brings all these qualities to the team. He can score amazing free-kicks.

He is a box-to-box player, enthusiastic, and possesses good technical ability. You don’t want a team of players with the same qualities. Jitu and Pronay bring in a certain type of qualities, and Jeremy Manzorro, being a foreign player, also brings in his own unique qualities.”