ISL 2019 | I won’t be here next year, says John Gregory
Chennaiyin FC’s ISL campaign ended as it had started – with a loss – and the title-winning manager last year, John Gregory has revealed that he won’t be with the club next year. Goa manager Sergio Lobera praised his team, which had some youngsters, as they beat Chennaiyin FC in last league game.
Chennaiyin would have ideally wanted to finish the season on a high despite not qualifying for the playoffs as Jamshedpur FC did the other day with a 5-1 thumping of Bengaluru FC. However, things were not to be that way as the Marina Machans wasted numerous chances while they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against FC Goa.
A devastated Gregory sounded helpless in the post-match press conference as he stated that the problem for the team throughout the season was not being able to score, and not something defensive.
"I think we had at least four-five big chances to score but couldn't take them. I thought we kept Goa pretty quiet in the game to be honest. They're a free-scoring team who score a lot of goals. To have gone behind when we did, I think we worked very hard for the rest of the match. I think there were some exceptional performances by one or two of my players," said Gregory, reported ISL official website.
"But ultimately we lost the game. It has been a problem throughout the season for us. We weren't very prolific last season, but defensively we were very strong. We have really struggled to score goals this season. If you look at the top four teams who qualified for the semis, they have outstanding goal scorers. We haven't scored enough goals and it was evident tonight," he added.
Chennaiyin FC had performed way more than anticipated under a new manager last season after they finished second garnering 32 points off 18 matches that included nine wins and four losses. If that wasn’t enough, they went on to beat Bengaluru FC in the final to lift the title. However, this season saw the side falling drastically managing just two wins and as many as 12 losses as they sit rock bottom of the table.
"For me, it's a personal insult. I am a proud man and I am not very proud of my team finishing at the bottom of the table. It's a statistic which I'm not very proud of but I have to accept it as it is. The club will start with a clean slate next season. But I won't be here next year."
Goa continued their form as they sealed a second placed finish despite Sergio Lobera not fielding his full first team. Chinglensena Singh came in for Carlos Pena, young Saviour Gama came in for Mandar Rao Desai, while Zaid Krouch started ahead of Brandon Fernandes. And Lobera explained that the three changes were primarily for the bookings.
"We had four players who were on three bookings and we didn't want to risk losing them for the semi-finals. So, we had to look for some replacements. I am very happy for Gama. He knew how to take the chance. This proves how FC Goa works from the development perspective. It proves that we are not only ready for the present but for the future also," said Lobera.
Lobera also asked the fans to turn up in big numbers for the second leg of the semi-final. “I want to ask the fans one thing. I want them in the second leg of the semis - our home match. I want the stadium to be packed. I know the match is not on a weekend, but I want them to make an effort and be beside the team," he added.
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