Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 30 (ANI): Bengaluru FC head coach Simon Grayson feels that home advantage will be of great help to his side as Bengaluru FC prepare to take on Punjab FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday in their next Indian Super League (ISL) match.
Bengaluru FC is on eighth position in the table with six points from seven games. They have lost thrice, drawn thrice and won only once so far this season. Grayson feels that home support will provide a positive boost to his side as they hunt for their fourth win of the season.
“It is going to be really nice to be back at home for the third time in eight games,” Grayson stated in the pre-match press conference as quoted by ISL.
“The players want to feel the love of our supporters because it is never easy to play away from home,” he added.
Bengaluru FC’s opponents, Punjab FC, sit in the bottom position of the league table with four losses and three draws after seven games and have not won any games so far this season. Having being promoted to the I-League from the ISL, the new entrants have struggled so far in the league.
This is the first time Bengaluru FC play Punjab FC in the ISL and despite Punjab FC’s poor form, Grayson feels that they deserve to be in the ISL. The Englishman does not want to underestimate his opponents.
“Any team that is in the ISL deserves to be here with merit. We played Punjab FC in the Super Cup last year and on Thursday we play them with the utmost respect that we would give to any team in the league. We have done our homework and we know as much about them as we know about the other teams we have played so far this season,” Grayson said.
Bengaluru FC have lost a significant amount of games but they have not been outplayed in any of them. Grayson believes that his team need to prove themselves on the pitch and showcase a positive desire to win games.
“When we look at the overall picture of our results so far, yes we have lost three games, drawn three and won one. However we have not been far away in the games where we have lost,” Grayson said.
“We have to earn the right to win football matches. We have to play with a positive attitude. We are very confident in our ability as a coaching staff and the players. We believe in them,” he added.
Grayson said that Ryan Williams won’t be available for the game after sustaining an injury in their previous game against NorthEast United FC.
Bengaluru FC center-back Keziah Veendorp joined head coach Grayson in the pre-match press conference. The Dutch defender has started in all the games for Bengaluru FC so far this season and has one assist to his name. Veendorp revealed he has been adjusting well so far in India and said his experience has been a positive one.
“My experience so far has been good. I am trying to adjust as well as I can and enjoying my time here in India,” Veendorp said.
Veendorp confessed that he did not know much about Indian players like Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu before arriving in India but also acknowledged their qualities after playing with them.
“I didn’t know Sunil (Chhetri) and Gurpreet (Singh Sandhu) before I came to India. When you play with them, you know straight away that they are really big stars in India. For me it is a privilege to play with them,” Veendorp said. (ANI)
