Chennai, Dec 10 (IANS): Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle said nobody hurts more than his players as they struggle to move up in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 standings and said they are the only ones who can put a smile on the fans' face when they take on Hyderabad FC in a home clash on Wednesday.
Chennaiyin FC will be eyeing a strong response to their recent run when they take on Hyderabad FC in a clash of two former winners in the Indian Super League 2024-25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday.
The Marina Machans have won three and drawn three games of the 11 played so far, and the right result against Hyderabad FC, who are second from the bottom in the table and on a run of three losses, will see them jump back into the playoff spots.
Chennaiyin won the ISL title twice, in 2015 and 2017-18 while Hyderabad claimed the honours in 2021-22. Both clubs are currently languishing towards the bottom of the 13-team standings for the 2024-25 season, Chennaiyin FC in 9th position with 12 points and Hyderabad in 12th spot with just seven points from 10 matches.
Speaking to the media ahead of the match in Chennai, head coach Owen Coyle introspected what went wrong for his side in the previous match and how to improve.
“We did very well before the East Bengal goal. We created five really good chances, which we failed to utilise, which could have been avoided,” Coyle said. “There are always going to be runs in periods when you've lost games. It's not nice. It's a horrible feeling. Nobody hurts more than us, but we are the ones who can change it, and we are the only ones who can go to that field, score our goals, take our chances, win the game, and put a smile on the fans' faces.”
“What I would say more to the general point is that the whole team can be more vocal. As much as Ryan (Edwards) is the captain, when you’re on that field, you should have 11 captains. You need 11 leaders,” Coyle added.
Joining Coyle for the press conference was playmaker Connor Shields, who has enjoyed a remarkable start to the season. Shields dismissed that the team was feeling any pressure as they sought their first home win, and underlined that there is a game to be won.
“Obviously, we want to win at home tomorrow. But that’ll come. If we perform as we did against Odisha, NorthEast United FC, games that we have won, then we won’t face any problems and we’ll win tomorrow,” Shields said.
There was nothing to separate the two sides when Chennaiyin played Hyderabad earlier in the season at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad, with the game ending in a stalemate. The Marina Machans dominated proceedings back then, and will be looking to get maximum points from what will be the teams’ 12th meeting in the Indian Super League.