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Jamshedpur FC head coach Scott Cooper believes that his team needs to perform better in the offensive phases of the game as they face Odisha FC in their next Indian Super League (ISL) match at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Friday.
The Men of Steel find themselves in the bottom half of the table, still figuring out the right balance to achieve positive results. They currently sit 10th in the league with five points from seven games. Having lost four games, drawn twice, and won just once so far this season, they have faced defeats in their last three matches. Despite their poor record, Cooper believes that his team is playing good football. The area where they need to improve is decision-making, particularly in the final third. "Everybody has identified that we play a good brand of football. We have the composure in the defensive and the middle. We need to bring more composure in the final third," Copper stated in the pre-match press conference as quoted by ISL. Jamshedpur FC lost their previous game away to FC Goa by a narrow 1-0 margin. Despite keeping possession for significant periods of the game and making it difficult for FC Goa to score, the Gaurs eventually broke through and secured the only goal, earning them three points. Cooper believes that fatigue and tiredness got the better of his team in that game. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic that his team can bounce back from their current position in future matches. "In the game the other night against FC Goa, we defended well but it was just a little bit of fatigue at the end that cost us the match. It is not a time to panic regarding our position on the table. Tables don't mean anything until March or April time in any case," Cooper stated. Jamshedpur FC has been decent defensively, conceding seven goals in seven matches. However, their problem lies in attack as they have scored just four goals, which is the joint lowest number of goals scored by any team in the league this season. Cooper feels that his players are aware of their shortcomings and understands that his team needs to improve in the final third of the pitch. He believes that enhancements in the final third will go a long way in improving his side's overall quality. "Our players know what we are good at and they also know our strengths and weaknesses. We try to play good football that our fans can enjoy," Cooper said. "We know we need to improve in the final third of the pitch. We do not change who we are or what we do. We know that if we get it right in the last third a lot of teams will find it difficult to face us," he added. The Irish-English head coach also discussed absentees from his squad and informed that Pronay Halder will be out for the season due to injury and has undergone surgery. He also mentioned that Ritwik Das will continue his rehabilitation program to regain full fitness. (ANI)
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