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When FC Goa lock horns with ATK Mohun Bagan on Wednesday, football will take the backseat and a flurry of narratives will take over. A week after leaving FC Goa, Juan Ferrando will be in the ATKMB dugout when the two sides clash in the ISL 2021-22.
Ferrando had implemented and perfected a style of football during his time with FC Goa that every competing ISL team took notice of. Asked if he was going to tweak FC Goa's philosophy to catch Ferrando off-guard, new head coach Derrick Pereira said:
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"Our philosophy won't be changed. We will stick to our playing style. But there will be little changes here and there. The players understand their roles in different situations and in different moments of the game. We are working on it."
Ferrando knows the FC Goa players inside out.
"Definitely, Juan [Ferrando] knows the players in and out. He has been working with them for the last one and a half years. We know what he is going to bring to the table for ATK Mohun Bagan. But we will definitely have a plan in place to counter that. Our boys are focused and determined for tomorrow's game. They're motivated to play well and get a good result," Pereira said.
Ivan Gonzalez, star of FC Goa's previous game, was asked about the emotions of facing his former boss. The Spanish defender said:
"These things happen in football. In football, you don't have time to think a lot. In the ISL, you play every three or four days. I think in this situation it is good for the team because we don't have time to think a lot. This is the challenge we have tomorrow and we accept the challenge. Of course, we wish the best for Juan [Ferrando], but after this game."
In response to a Sportskeeda query about what the coach made of the ATK Mohun Bagan team, former Salgaocar defender Pereira said:
"Everybody knows they have a strong team. They have some big names in their squad. But I think on any given day anybody can beat any team. I'm sure if we focus for 90 minutes on our job, our plan, we should do well. They're definitely a strong team overall in defense and attack. So we have to give 100% in tomorrow's match to get the desired result."
Catch the latest ISL live score here on Sportskeeda!
"We lost shape in the second half" - FC Goa head coach Derrick Pereira on Odisha FC 1-1 draw
After the exit of Ferrando, Pereira joined the FC Goa camp just a day ahead of the Odisha FC match. Asked what he made of the drawn encounter, the FC Goa head coach said:
"I mean, I didn't want to make any changes. Because in the last three matches the team had been doing well. There are limitations and a lot of injuries. We had a very good first half. The mentality of the team is to go for a win and in doing so, we lost shape in the second half. We have to work on keeping the balance."
In the last game, Airam Cabrera pulled his hamstring in the first half and Nongdamba Naorem replaced him. Asked by Sportskeeda about the youngster's performance, Pereira said:
"I think Naorem performed well when he came on. I think he did quite well in the first half. Even in the second half he was trying. We lost a bit of shape in the second half and that confused some of our youngsters. I take the responsibility. I should have prepared well for the youngsters and for myself to understand these players."
