NorthEast United FC will be up against Jamshedpur FC in the last match of Matchweek 4 of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season. The two sides will square off at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Sunday, October 30, 2022.
NorthEast United FC head coach Marco Balbul attended the pre-match press conference on Saturday in the build-up to his side's clash against the Men of Steel. Sharing his thoughts on the Highlanders' recent results, the Israeli gaffer said:
"We are frustrated and not satisfied with our team's results. Zero points from three is not what we expected and we should be better on defense to avoid mistakes. We should be more efficient in attacking and converting the chances we create. We are focused on our team for this game."
The Highlanders were in a bit of a soup recently after one of their foreign signings, Sylvester Igboun, left the team citing poor facilities provided by the club as a reason for his departure. Hesitant to talk about the incident, he said:
"I don't want to talk about players who are not here and cannot help us. The player's complaint about the condition is from a subjective point of view. But all the players feel completely different than him. The most important thing is to not focus on these things and keep our heads straight for the challenge ahead of us. We are really motivated and prepared for this game."
"We have players who can handle this pressure" - NorthEast United FC head coach on the prospect of facing Jamshedpur FC
Jamshedpur FC's home ground is known to be a difficult venue for the visiting teams. Underlining his team's preparations to take on Aidy Boothroyd's side in their backyard, the NorthEast United FC gaffer said:
"Jamshedpur has an excellent squad with a very good coach but in football there is pressure everywhere irrespective of where we play. We have players who can handle this pressure and be motivated by it."
The Highlanders will miss Provat Lakra, who is yet to feature in an ISL game this season after being sidelined with a ligament injury.