Pune FC take on former champions Dempo SC in an I-League Round-6 encounter at the Balewadi Stadium on Saturday.
Speaking at the pre-match Press Conference, Pune FC Head Coach Karim Bencherifa was optimistic of a good performance after a narrow defeat in the previous round.
Giving his views about the big game against Dempo SC, Coach Bencherifa said, “It’s very important to bounce back in the game against Dempo SC. Make no mistake, Dempo are a good side and along with Mohun Bagan, they are the only team who are still undefeated in the league. If you ask me, they have assembled the best young Indian talent. The best Indian players aged 22-23 years are with Dempo. We know that the task will not be easy but we are prepared to give our best.”
Speaking about the previous game, he said, “The game against Mohun Bagan was fought mostly in the midfield. The game was very physical and close. I don’t want to waste my energy on something that I can’t change but honestly he pitch is just not up to the mark. It is very difficult to play your natural game there. We did create a few really close chances, and they too created only a handful of chances. But credit to them as they capitalised on a lapse of concentration from our side. But I’m not worried because there a few games where things don’t work.”
He further added, “When I look at the way we started the season back in July, the games that we played including the one against Mohun Bagan, we have always been competitive side and that’s a good sign. We always work on our defensive organisation. We want the fans and everyone else to enjoy our style of play. And when you want to play an attacking brand of football and stamp your authority, you do have to commit players forward. Even if we concede a few goals sometimes, it’s not because of the team, but because of the strategy. I could ask our side-backs to stay back and will the compactness of the defense will be praised. But again, we might not create those chances up front. Football is a game about choices and we have to make one. We choose to go out there and have our players enjoy the game by playing a good brand of attacking and possessional football.”
