Owen Coyle rues avoidable mistakes after home defeat to East Bengal FC in ISL 2024-25

Chennaiyin FC’s head coach Owen Coyle rued avoidable mistakes after 0-2 loss against East Bengal FC in the ongoing Indian Super League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.

After a goalless first-half, PV Vishnu and Jeakson Singh scored second-half goals to secure all three points for the visitors. 

Meanwhile, the home team had 55.4% possession and took three shots on target. Coyle admitted they should have been better in defense and urged his players to come up with a better show.

“We started very well in the first half. We had some wonderful chances to get in front, and it was important to take the lead. Had we gone in front, they would have had to have been more adventurous. To be fair to them, they paid us a lot of respect coming in, bringing everybody behind the ball,” Coyle said in the post-match presentation.

“But the goals we gave away! We gave such a soft goal away, it’s easily avoidable, and a good run from (Saul) Crespo, but the run should’ve been matched. And we’ve had to settle 1-0 down. Made some changes and, to be honest, it was my reaction, I went for a better reaction at 1-0. We got the ball, and brought the subs in, I think they’d say it gives the pass away that leads to Jeakson (Singh) hitting a wonder strike, but it wasn’t good enough from the point of 1-0. Prior to that, we were very comfortable, we were very good in the game, and looked as if we could be set to go on and win the game,” he further added.

Meanwhile, the Marina Machans have not been able to score in their last three games, which has led to their fans’ disappointment.

“That’s the harsh reality of life at the top level in the ISL. If you don’t take your chances, you’re going to be punished heavily everywhere. My sense of disappointment is for the fans. They come, they’re colourful, they unite the team, and they support them to the final whistle. We’ve left them now feeling not particularly great, having lost a game at home. We’re desperate to get back at home, having played all their away games. And it’s an opportunity we’ve let pass us by. We can’t afford to keep letting opportunities pass us by. It gives us a mountain to climb, as we did last year…for sure, we have to step up to the plate. They know that. But ultimately, that responsibility lies with me”.

The gaffer backed his team to bounce back but admitted that every loss is putting them under pressure.

“We started the last season with three losses, bounced back from it, and that’s what we’ll do again. It’s not particularly nice and you’re right because what it does, each game you lose adds a little bit more to it, and that’s the nature of football,” he said.

Coyle’s team will next take on Hyderabad FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday.