"This is the most dangerous game of the season" - Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle issues warning ahead of ISL clash against Hyderabad FC

Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle sees his side's upcoming ISL clash against Hyderabad FC as a potential banana skin.

The Marina Machans will face bottom club Hyderabad at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, March 9. Chennaiyin are certainly in high spirits following their stunning 2-1 victory over Odisha FC and now have a chance to go level on points with sixth-placed Bengaluru FC.

Speaking to the media ahead of the clash, Coyle emphasized the importance of maintaining their performance levels if they are to have any chance of reaching the playoffs. He also expressed admiration for the ‘young’ Hyderabad FC side under Thangboi Singto.

“We have to replicate that performance against Odisha FC. That’s the level we need to perform at. This is the most dangerous game of the season because the young Hyderabad FC team, they’re full of spirit. They’re full of endeavor. They’ve got nothing to lose and will lplay with that freedom. I’ve got so much time for them. But what we know is that when we’re at our very best, we can stand toe to toe with anybody,” Coyle said in the pre-match press conference.

In terms of results, inconsistency has been a recurring theme for the Chennai outfit this season. They have won just two of their last five games. However, Coyle believes that the team’s performances have been consistently solid since the restart and wants his side to continue trusting their approach.

"I don’t know if we are unpredictable because we have been very consistent recently. Ultimately, in football, people look at what our result is. We beat Kerala on merit. We could easily have beaten Mumbai and certainly deserved something in the game against East Bengal," he stated.

"We’ve been doing a lot of things very well and have an opportunity tomorrow to actually leap from NorthEast United FC. So for us, it is about believing, keep trusting what we’re doing. And what we have done is give ourselves an opportunity to be in the playoffs," Coyle added.

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We have to build a winning mentality at the club - Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle

Owen Coyle frequently emphasizes the words ‘long-term process’ during his press conferences and firmly believes that Chennaiyin FC, as a club, must go through setbacks before achieving success.

He also acknowledged the persistent negativity surrounding the club but remains focused on restoring the glory days at the Marina Arena.

The Scottish tactician explained:

"We have to take a few punches in the face to eventually get to where we are because we have to build a winning mentality at the club. That’s got to be all the way through the club in every department. "

"For too many years, there’s been far too much negativity at the club. There are huge clubs in this league that spend huge amounts of money. It doesn’t always guarantee you success. But we do something different here and the only way to be successful is by everybody being together and not being negative," he added.

Coming back to the current season, Chennaiyin FC appear to have a fixed set of players both in defense and midfield. However, the No. 9 role has consistently been open to competition. Coyle has used the likes of Connor Shields, Jordan Murray, Irfan Yadwad, Rahim Ali, and, recently, even Farukh Choudhary.

Discussing the constant rotations and his expectations from the player occupying that role, he elaborated:

"Number nine is a key role, and at the moment Farukh (Choudhary) is doing very well, but last week Jordan (Murray) was unlucky not to start again. So, it’s not about experiment, but the nature of the league is that you can play four foreigners."

"We have to ultimately look at it as we’re building different options for that position. But the number nine is a focal point of any team and the first thing I ask is to receive the ball when it’s played up and bring others into play. Overall, the great thing is we are creating chances, but we have to be a bit more clinical," Coyle concluded.

Forward Farukh Choudhary, who has enjoyed a consistent run of games recently, accompanied his head coach to the press conference. He asserts that the Marina Machans have consistently posed problems for teams, but attributes their lack of finishing touch as the factor for their inconsistent results.

"As a team, we have been performing really well. I think we are the team who creates a lot of chances. But the only important thing we have to be more clinical in front of the goal. It’s just those small errors where we need to look into the details and make sure that we get better. The coach makes sure that everyone is positive. That’s the good thing about it and we are looking forward to the next few games," Choudhary said.

The clash between Chennaiyin FC and Hyderabad FC will be broadcast on Sports18 and VH1, and it will also be available for live streaming on Jiocinema starting from 7:30 PM IST.