ISL 2022-23: "We created enough to win two games tonight" - Mumbai City FC manager Des Buckingham rues missed chances

Mumbai City FC had to settle for a point against ATK Mohun Bagan, despite dominating the game for large swathes. Post the game, manager Des Buckingham rued his team’s inability to take their chances and highlighted how things could have been different had they been more clinical in front of goal.

“I thought we were very good throughout the game. We did not take our chances. We created enough to win two games tonight. The problem in football is that the opposition will get a chance in the game. Unfortunately for us, that was in the 88th minute from a free kick. We need to make sure that when we get chances, we finish them and put the game to bed."

Mumbai City FC raced out of the blocks

Mumbai City FC, much like they did last week against the Kerala Blasters, began in sprightly fashion, surging ahead in the fourth minute itself.

ATK Mohun Bagan clawed their way back into the contest in the second half. Yet, that did not take anything away from how Mumbai City FC had bossed proceedings prior to the break.

“We don’t change our approach too much on the opposition. ATK Mohun Bagan are a wonderful side, they have a good coach. They will be up there come the end of the season too. For us to play the way we did against them, following it up with what we did last week in Kochi, not just for the first 20 minutes but for the entire first half.

"I think there was a 10-15 minute period at the start of the second half when they got on top and the momentum swung in their favour when they got the goal. We have a way of doing things with the ball and that is more evident this year. And we have more than one way of doing that."

The Mumbai City FC manager concluded his point by adding:

"If they try to stop us, we have other ways to exploit it, either by changing style or by personnel change. We need to be smart and clever on how to do it (pressing) and we have shown that we can be effective."

That said, there were a couple of moments that might have gotten fans talking. In the dying embers of the game, Alberto Noguera, moments after hitting the post and seeing Vikram Pratap Singh blaze the rebound into the stands, seemed to gesture something towards the dugout.

Buckingham, though, cleared the air, stating that it was perhaps a possibility that Noguera, owing to his experience, saw and one that Vikram didn’t.

“I don’t know what he was counting (laughs). We have a mixture of senior players and young players. In those moments, the senior players see a different picture than the young players, and that is because of their experience. It is part of the learning process for the younger players.

"Vikram chose to take a shot instead of maybe doing something Alberto might have seen. I will have to look back and it might have been the best option. You have to give these players the opportunity to make their own decisions and if it hits the back of the net, Alberto is not counting, he is celebrating (chuckles)."

Lallianzuala Chhangte, who gave Mumbai City FC the lead, also looked unhappy after being substituted in the second half. But that, as Buckingham clarified, was something that he felt was not very uncommon in senior football.

"Players are unhappy when they don’t start and they don’t want to leave the field. That is the reality about senior football. The beauty of this squad is that we have two players for every position. In the four games before this and tonight as well, we need a full squad; we are not a team of individuals. We don’t want our players coming off and throwing things but I’d be disappointed if he was coming off and happy about it."

Mumbai City FC would hope that they can stick by each other through thick and thin. Their manager is making all the right noises and they are yet to taste defeat this season. Their next test is against Chennayin FC on November 12.