ISL: Our attacking phase needs improvement, says Punjab FC coach Staikos after loss to Odisha

Punjab FC head coach Staikos Vergetis was left disappointed with his team’s attacking play during their 1-0 loss to Odisha FC in Matchweek 12 of the Indian Super League (ISL) in Delhi on Tuesday, saying that his team needs improvement in this department.

Punjab FC’s position in the table remains unchanged after this result, currently holding the 11th position with eight points from 12 games, featuring one win and five draws.
The Shers experienced intense pressure from Odisha FC right from the first whistle of the game, eventually conceding a goal in the 21st minute when Roy Krishna found the back of the net from close range.

Vergetis analyzed his team’s performance after the game and believes decision-making in the final third was a major issue in today’s defeat.

“We received a lot of pressure in the middle spaces from Odisha FC in the first half. They pressed us a lot and did not allow us to have possession of the ball,” Vergetis stated in the post-match press conference as per an ISL press release.

“In the second half, we had better possession of the ball. We tried to find ways to escape from the pressure and entered the defensive third of the opponent many times,” he added.
“Our big problem and my big concern is when we entered the attacking third but nothing happened. The final pass is not correct or the decision was not accurate. We need to work on this,” Vergetis continued.

Punjab FC had seven shots in total throughout the game, but they managed only one shot on target. Vergetis believes that his players have quality, but the decision-making on the pitch during key moments of the game is not something that he and his coaching team can easily instil in the squad.

“I believe our players have the skills but they have not made correct decisions till now. We help them to do so in the training but in the moment of the game it is their decision,” he said.
This was the last game for Punjab FC before the start of the Kalinga Super Cup and the ISL break. They have scored nine goals until this point in the season and conceded 18 times. Vergetis feels that his side has improved with each game played this season, but he admits that there is still a long way to go for his team in the current season.

“Apart from one game against Chennaiyin FC, we were competitive in all the other games. We succeeded in our first target to be competitive,” Vergetis said. “Our second target was to create one structure of the team in all phases of the game,” he added.

“From the three phases, I believe our defensive function and transition are improving with each passing game. However, the attacking phase still requires more improvement,” the head coach opined.