With East Bengal currently fifth in the standings, having won three of their six matches so far, the clash promises to be a stern test. The Marina Machans, however, will look to draw from their previous performances\u2013CFC registered a commanding 3-0 victory in the league when the teams last met\u2013and make home advantage count as they seek to climb up the table.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cFor me, East Bengal are the most balanced team in the division. It\u2019s not easy to play against them because they are very strong in the middle and extremely quick on the wings. They also have one of the league\u2019s best strikers, if I\u2019m not mistaken. It\u2019s a team that is very, very well-balanced, capable of playing possession football as well as going direct. I think they are one of the most difficult teams in the league,\u201d Chennaiyin head coach Clifford Rayes Miranda told the media in his pre-match press conference on Friday. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be difficult\u2014very difficult. But we will try, we will work, and we will go out there to win. That\u2019s what we want to do, especially because this is our home.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Miranda also addressed Chennaiyin\u2019s lack of goals so far this season, outlining the tactical evolution underway and the next steps for his side in the attacking phase.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cRight now, we don\u2019t have many goals to show for our efforts. But that\u2019s also because we haven\u2019t had enough forays into the final third, and I understand the reason why. When I came here, the team was playing more direct football, and I needed time to change the way we wanted to play. I have a different approach, which is more possession-based, what I call progressive possession-based football. We can go direct if the opponent is pressing us, but if they sit back, we keep the ball. It\u2019s about patient, controlled possession,\u201d explained the CFC head coach.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSo first, I needed to shift the team towards a more positional, possession-based approach, and that took time. Now that we are getting there, the next step is to work on the other aspect: helping the players make better decisions when it comes to going forward.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Joining Miranda for the press conference was senior stalwart Mandar Rao Dessai, who started the first five games this season and was subbed in for the sixth. The fullback addressed the team\u2019s form while setting firm targets for the future.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSo first, I needed to shift the team towards a more positional, possession-based approach, and that took time. Now that we are getting there, the next step is to work on the other aspect: helping the players make better decisions when it comes to going forward.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Lastly, Miranda confirmed that, for the first time this season, he expects to have the entire squad at his disposal for East Bengal\u2019s visit.<\/p>\r\n\r\n