The Blues ‘trequartista’ Spoke About His First Goal Of The Season, The Fans And The Team’s Journey Ahead. Excerpts…
On finally scoring his first goal of the season…
When I saw the ball go in, the first emotion that came into my mind was relief. I should have scored in the first game itself but it took me so long, and so it was natural to feel relief rather than joy. I think this goal has lifted a lot of pressure off me and has built my confidence for the upcoming AFC Cup and Federation Cup games.
His thoughts on the Blues’ season so far…
I think we have been very unlucky this season. We started off very well, created a lot of chances and dominated possession, but unfortunately we just slipped and dropped a few crucial points. However, we have gotten ourselves together and have done well in the last few games. I think what we lacked this season was the ability to deliver in the final third. We have now built good momentum and should look to carry it forward to the next tournament.
On the fans and the support, he has received…
The fans have always been fantastic since the year I joined this team. I don’t think any other team receives the support we do. In spite dropping points and losing our focus, the fans kept coming to every game and singing and cheering for us. Without these fans I don’t think we would be where we are. I want to thank them for everything and encourage them to keep coming to our games as we want to make sure they are proud to support us again.
On what the Blues can achieve in the AFC Cup and Fed Cup this season…
I think we have started very well in the AFC Cup. We obviously aim to get past the group stages, and hopefully power past the next few rounds. But just because we have reached the final last year, doesn’t mean we can take it easy. Our performance was a result of a lot of hard work from the whole team and this year will be no different.
The Federation Cup too will be a tournament we have to look to win as it will better our chances of being in the AFC Cup the next year. We face a strong and young side in the form of Shillong Lajong, a side I have played for before. Although we have beaten them twice in the league this season, we cannot, even for a minute, relax as they can punish us.
