Mumbai look to bounce back against Aizawl

MUMBAI: Mumbai FC may have lost 3-0 away to Bengaluru FC in their last I-League match, but coach Santosh Kashyap wants to put that behind, and quickly. As his team hosts Aizawl FC at the Cooperage Stadium on Sunday, Kashyap said he's banking on home support to get a good result.
"I must admit that we could not cope with Bengaluru FC. There were good in all departments on the day. We had to change our tactics and weren't able to execute what we wanted to.All we can do is concentrate on the Aizawl match. They are a strong team, but it's always difficult playing away," Kashyap said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday.
In some positive news for the home side, they've finally managed to sign two foreigners in central midfielder Densill Theobald and attacking midfielder Robson Santana aka Robinho. Theobald, who is from Trinidad & Tobago, played under Kashyap at Royal Wahingdoh and will be available for selection against Aizawl. Due to budget constraints, Mumbai hadn't signed any foreigners and were missing the push as far as attack was concerned.
The match is also being labeled as Khalid Jamil's 'homecoming.' The Aizawl coach was with Mumbai for eight years before leaving the club after last season. Jamil however, said it's no big a deal.
"My only focus is on the match. Yes, it's good to be back in Mumbai, but what I care about is my team," he said. For the record, Aizawl have been on an unbeaten run, drawing one and winning two.
Mumbai also had got off to a positive start, winning their first two games 1-0 and 2-1 against DSK Shivajians and Churchill Brothers respectively. They hit the roadblock against Bengaluru though. Kashyap said that his team has seen a lot of changes since he took over and are still getting adjusted to it.
"Khalid (Jamil) had been coaching the team for a long time and he did what he was told to do. But that also means that the entire team were used to a certain way of working, a way which I want to change. I want to change everything. Our aim is no more just to survive in the league, but to finish in the top-3," he said.
And what are those changes that he seems so determined to bring? "It's the simple things," he said, adding, "It's about convincing the management the need for certain things. For example, I introduced the GPS system to monitor the fitness of the players. We didn't have the budget for it, but when I explained why we needed it, the management agreed. Other things I have introduced here is living in the same complex, more video analysis sessions and more importantly, I see to it that the learning sessions are fun. We do more drawing room work now."
If Mumbai were on the defensive against a very experienced Bengaluru side, then their attacking prowess should be on full display against their young Aizawl opponents.