"Defensively, we were very well prepared": Staikos Vergetis after goalless draw against East Bengal
Dec 10, 2023
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], December 10 : After Punjab FC shared points with East Bengal FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) match at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday, the away side's head coach Staikos Vergetis said that defensively they were strong.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Vergetis said that his players were disciplined on the field and had faith in their game plan.
"Defensively, we were very well prepared. The players had faith in the plan and were disciplined. We didn't allow the opponent to create clear-cut chances," Vergetis said as quoted by ISL's official website.
He accepted that they faced a few problems when they gave the home side some space on the field. However, he added that they recovered soon.
"We had some problems with the transitions sometimes when East Bengal FC found free space and reached our area very fast. But we faced this situation (well)," he added.
The Punjab FC head coach said that they were weak in the attack and failed to create more chances.
"Offensively, I was expecting more from our team. We didn't create many chances even though we had moments on transitions but we didn't take advantage of that," he continued.
He praised the home side and said that they pressed well with the long ball. He also added that the away side controlled the game most of the time.
"The opponents pressed us with long balls but our players defended well to keep the clean sheet. I was worried a little in those moments. But for most parts, we controlled the game," he added.
"Today, we didn't have too many chances and we weren't much better than the opponent for me to be unhappy with the draw. But I appreciate the defensive functioning of our team. We made a step up in this phase," he added.
"We would like to create more chances but when you play with so many youngsters against big players, famous players of the national team, we have to be careful. We now are starting to build the careers of these youngsters," he concluded.
In the ongoing season of the ISL, the Punjab-based side are yet to clinch a win after playing nine league matches. They have conceded four losses and five draws this season.
In their upcoming fixture, Punjab FC will square off against Kerala Blasters FC on December 14 in New Delhi
