ISL 2019 | We need to win the next six games, claims Pune coach Phil Brown

02/10/2019

FC Pune City’s new coach, Phil Brown, is adamant that his side need to continue with their promising run and win the rest of their six games on the trot in the ongoing ISL season. The Pune-based franchise will go up against World ATK at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex.

FC Pune City have won just four matches from the 13 games played this season so far in the Indian Super League. However, things looked to have improved under new British coach Phil Brown and have three wins from the last three games in the national league. The Englishman hopes to ‘entertain' the crowd at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, which will be his first game on home soil.

"I have passed by the stadium many times but this is the first time that I am here. It’s a beautiful pitch and with a good crowd, I am sure we will put up a performance. We need to win the next six games and we plan to entertain the crowd with our play," Brown told TOI sources.

The Pune-based franchise will go up against World ATK in the next match and will hope to build on their hot form in front of goal. However, ATK have lost just one away match this season and English coach Steve Coppell will look to build on that and improve their position in the ISL rankings table.

"At home sometimes, there is an added pressure on teams. The stadiums are so laid back that it is difficult for the crowd to have a real impact," he said on the eve of the clash. A lot of teams are comfortable playing away from home because the emphasis is rightly so on the home team to make the play," Coppell said.

Due to the foreign player restrictions in the playing eleven, Coppell had to break the partnership of John Johnson and Andre Bikey to have a stronger attack. Striker Kalu Uche’s return from injury, ATK will probably field a similar defense line in the next match.

"I think at this stage of the season, you have to have two or three plans. Bikey and Johnson have been a formidable partnership in terms of goals against and the number of clean sheets but at this stage of the season, the emphasis is three points and maybe not one point," Coppell added.

Pune are placed on seventh in the points table with 14 points from 13 games while ATK are one place above them at 20 points having played one extra game.

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ISL 2019 | We need to win the next six games, claims Pune coach Phil Brown

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