PRE-MATCH QUIPS: Materazzi says team will play with aggressive mentality; Coppell says they are up against the best

CFC ARE COMING WITH A DRAW against Pune in the last game. Kerala on the other hand bagged a comeback victory against FC Goa.

Chennaiyin FC would be playing 2 games in a span of four days and on this Coach Materazzi said,

“These two games will be fundamental for us. It’s tough to win even one game in this league and winning two in a row will be very tough. But we did a good week of training and we know we’re going to face a good team with good quality in attack. We could have gone to the top if we had won in Pune but we need to get back on track and we will play with an aggressive mentality. In this league you can never stop. If you suffer one loss, you’re still in, and not out. Like FC Goa lost a few but they are a very good team and they can make it up. The league is such that the teams in the lower half can always keep up and we will keep training and look to go on like this and try to win as many games as possible"

Coppell branded Chennaiyin FC as one of the best in ISL 3 and went on to say,

“I’m looking forward to it. If you look at Chennai, they’re arguably the best team. They won the league phase in the first year topping the table and they won the league last year. They have a strong squad and they have a formula. You want to play against the best team and see where you sit and it’ll be a difficult task and I see that in all their games they’ve played this year, they have got a variety of styles and it’s a challenge for the coach playing against. You want to do well as they’re arguably the best and you want to judge yourself against the best"

Materazzi on the draw in the last game where a free kick given away caused the late equaliser, commented,

 “Yes, I’m happy about the performance. I’m talking about myself and not the players. They know that it was two points dropped because it was a free-kick that should have been in our favour but then we weren’t smart enough and I’m upset. If we had been smarter, then it would have been two away victories.”

Kerala and Chennaiyin FC head-to-head record is unfavourable for KBFC having one out of the 6 meetings. On this Coppell said the past doesn’t play any part in the upcoming games and said,

“I’ve been made aware of the history but it means nothing to me. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just another game to me. I don’t think we have players who are caught up in the past. Different year, different players and different occasion, so we won’t have a problem. We play them again in a couple of weeks in the league and so may the best team come out on top in both the fixtures.”

On the head-to-head stats, Materazzi's views were same as Coppell's. He continued,

“No, previous games don’t have to have any influence. Because if they did then, we would have lost our games after the Delhi match. I was disappointed, maybe it was the worst game I had in three years of the ISL. My players, however, were mature to change their attitude and I’m happy they proved it on the pitch"

After having a poor run in the first couple of matches of this season and then coming back stronger with some good results for Kerala Blasters. Commenting on the upward form Coppell said,

“Any win in this division is important because it’s so close. Coming up to half point in the league, there’s little difference in points between the top and the bottom teams and so any win is precious and certainly against Goa. To be a goal down and then win is psychologically important for us"

Materazzi, on his side's rotation of the playing 11 with many changes introduced in everygame every game said,

“Yes, Eli has shown a lot of quality in defence and we know that the basic choices are Riise and Mendy but I must praise both Eder Monteiro and Eli Sabia for being so professional and acting like real men on and off the pitch. As I said whoever deserves to play, plays. This year my whole team knows that the team comes before the name. Maybe it was lacking in the previous years but now all my players are mature to show this. Like Mendy in the last game when he did not play, he showed that he is mature and professional and he kept on cheering and then he got back on the pitch and put in a good performance. My philosophy is to play anyone who deserves to play and you can see Jerry [Lalrinzuala] playing because he plays like a man. You will see this shuffling a lot of times this season,” 

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