‘Important but not crucial’ – Sergio Lobera feels ATK Mohun Bagan are ‘a good test’ for Mumbai City

Mumbai City coach Sergio Lobera called for focus from his side ahead of their Indian Super League (ISL) tie against ATK Mohun Bagan on Monday. Both teams are neck-to-neck at the top of the table, with the Kolkatan outfit (20 points) trailing by just two points.

Lobera felt that the standings do not really matter at this stage, with more than half of the season still left to be played. However, he feels that playing against ATK Mohun Bagan will be a test of his team’s mettle. 

“I think it’s going to be an important game but not crucial. It’s just half of the competition and in this league, everything can change in a short time. Sometimes you have three games in seven days and the most important thing is to keep our focus on improving ourselves.

“Tomorrow’s game is a good test for us but it’s [to get] three points more against a very good team,” he said.

The Islanders have won their last three games and are on an eight-game unbeaten run but will miss the services of the influential Ahmed Jahouh after the Moroccan picked up a red card in their 2-1 win over Bengaluru FC.

“Jahouh is an important player for us but I have a very good squad and there are no excuses about this. The most important thing for me is always teamwork. It’s not about individualities. You need to work as a team. It’s not about just Jahouh or [Mourtada] Fall. My job as a coach is to work collectively with the team,” Lobera insisted.

The Spanish manager, who turns 44 later this month, feels that though the transition to his style of play at Mumbai has gone to plan, they are always striving to improve.

“This season, we tried to implement a new style of pay with only four players (Jahouh, Fall, Hugo Boumous and Mandar Rao Dessai, and five incuding Amey Ranawade) who have played under me before.

“We are [improving] in a good way, not only about the results and the position on the table, but also about improving our way of play. We need to improve in these circumstances in this special season,” Lobera stated.

Meanwhile, wing-back Mandar Rao Dessai, who had to miss a few games after leaving the bio-bubble, played down the hype around the clash. 

“We prepare for every game in the same way, no matter if it is a team from the top or the bottom [of the table]. ATK Mohun Bagan is a competitive team but we are all set to play against them.

“I had to leave [the bubble] because of my personal problem. When I was back, I had to continue working hard. My father always supported me in what I wanted to do. So that’s a big motivation for me to continue giving my best,” he mentioned.

The left back’s absence saw Vignesh Dakshinamurthy put in impressive performances in his place. Mandar acknowledged the fact and said, “It’s very important for a player to have competition to work hard and perform well as per the level that the coach and team demands from you.”