Chennai, April 10 Chennaiyin FC will aim to overcome their recent setbacks and return to winning ways when they host East Bengal in an Indian Super League match here on Saturday.
With East Bengal placed fifth in the standings, having won three of their six matches so far, the clash promises to be a tough test for the home side.
However, the Marina Machans will look to draw strength from their previous performances. Chennai FC registered a commanding 3-0 victory against East Bengal in their last meeting and will aim to capitalize on home advantage as they seek to climb the league table.
"I believe East Bengal is the most balanced team in the division. It's not easy to play against them because they are very strong in midfield and extremely quick on the wings. They also have one of the league's best strikers," said Chennaiyin head coach Clifford Miranda ahead of the match.
"It's going to be a difficult match. But we will try, we will work hard, and we will go out there to win. That's what we want to do, especially because this is our home."
Miranda also addressed Chennaiyin's lack of goals so far this season, outlining the tactical changes underway and the next steps for his side in the attacking phase.
"Right now, we haven't been scoring many goals. But that's also because we haven't had enough opportunities to attack in the final third. I understand the reason for this. When I came here, the team was playing more direct football, and I needed time to change the way we wanted to play.
"I have a different approach, which is more possession-based. We can go direct if the opponent is pressing us, but if they sit back, we keep the ball. It's about patient, controlled possession," explained the CFC head coach.
"So first, I needed to shift the team towards a more positional, possession-based approach, and that took time. Now that we are getting there, the next step is to work on the other aspect -- helping the players make better decisions when it comes to attacking."
Miranda also said that he expects to have the entire squad at his disposal for the match against East Bengal.
