Westwood: 'The boys feel they deserved better' The Brit boss was of the opinion his team performed well against better opposition and is now fully focused on the domestic campaign ahead... Nikhil Jitendran 07-Feb-2015 06:38:31 Ashley Westwood, the coach of current I-League champions Bengaluru FC, has claimed that the match against Malaysian opponents Johor DT in the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Champions League play- off has already put them on the Asian footballing map. The Steelmen went into the match as clear underdogs, yet put up a spirited display losing by just the one goal in a cagey 2-1 affair at the Larkin Stadium in a game which was oonly decided in extra-time. Speaking from Bengaluru, where they face I-League newbies Bharat FC’s inquest in their upcoming domestic encounter, the coach answered a question regarding the performance of his players on the night by elucidating, “We witnessed a really solid committed performance there from our side where we more than matched Johor. Obviously, I'm not going to disrespect them but I think we were probably taken a little bit lightly from teams in Asia. They didn't know what to expect from us. We've come from a country ranked 170th in the world but we performed well above that ranking and we've shown that we're serious contenders in and around Asia.” “Full credit to the boys; the fitness levels that you saw, the commitment and desire, the possession football, the way we've created a lot of chances and we hit the woodwork two or three times. So, we're unlucky not to get something out of this game. The boys obviously feel a little let down with the defeat because I think that they know that they deserved a little bit better,” he added, to the Bengaluru FC's official website, clearly proud of his lads’ effort. Also, put forth to him were questions on he planned to see the road ahead for his team, to which he replied, “We're recovering ourselves to look forward to Sunday's league game at home. We'll have a little bit of a knock on effect for that. But like I said we're prepared, we're fit, we've been working hard since July and it will start to pay off now. Like I said, if you want to compete in and around the top level, you have to be prepared to play two or three times a week. I think that's our tenth game in something like 35 days.” He concluded by adding, “We've come off the back of winning the Federation Cup which was six games in fourteen days. We've had all the travel to the north-east in India, all the way down to Malaysia and we've gone on to put in a performance like that so I can't speak highly enough of the players and the commitment that they've shown. You can't put on performances like that if things aren't working well.”
Comments
better'
The Brit boss was of the opinion his team performed well
against better opposition and is now fully focused on the
domestic campaign ahead...
Nikhil Jitendran
07-Feb-2015 06:38:31
Ashley Westwood, the coach of
current I-League champions
Bengaluru FC, has claimed that
the match against Malaysian
opponents Johor DT in the
Asian Football Confederation’s
(AFC) Champions League play-
off has already put them on the Asian footballing map.
The Steelmen went into the match as clear underdogs, yet
put up a spirited display losing by just the one goal in a
cagey 2-1 affair at the Larkin Stadium in a game which
was oonly decided in extra-time.
Speaking from Bengaluru, where they face I-League
newbies Bharat FC’s inquest in their upcoming domestic
encounter, the coach answered a question regarding the
performance of his players on the night by elucidating,
“We witnessed a really solid committed performance there
from our side where we more than matched Johor.
Obviously, I'm not going to disrespect them but I think we
were probably taken a little bit lightly from teams in Asia.
They didn't know what to expect from us. We've come
from a country ranked 170th in the world but we
performed well above that ranking and we've shown that
we're serious contenders in and around Asia.”
“Full credit to the boys; the fitness levels that you saw,
the commitment and desire, the possession football, the
way we've created a lot of chances and we hit the
woodwork two or three times. So, we're unlucky not to
get something out of this game. The boys obviously feel a
little let down with the defeat because I think that they
know that they deserved a little bit better,” he added, to
the Bengaluru FC's official website, clearly proud of his
lads’ effort.
Also, put forth to him were questions on he planned to see
the road ahead for his team, to which he replied, “We're
recovering ourselves to look forward to Sunday's league
game at home. We'll have a little bit of a knock on effect
for that. But like I said we're prepared, we're fit, we've
been working hard since July and it will start to pay off
now. Like I said, if you want to compete in and around the
top level, you have to be prepared to play two or three
times a week. I think that's our tenth game in something
like 35 days.”
He concluded by adding, “We've come off the back of
winning the Federation Cup which was six games in
fourteen days. We've had all the travel to the north-east
in India, all the way down to Malaysia and we've gone on
to put in a performance like that so I can't speak highly
enough of the players and the commitment that they've
shown. You can't put on performances like that if things
aren't working well.”
m.goal.com/x/en-india/news/8686122