At full-time, Chennaiyin FC’s head coach Owen Coyle looked a glum figure as he walked towards East Bengal head coach Oscar Bruzon for the post-match handshake.
With the 0-2 loss against the Red-and-Gold Brigade, his side has now lost three in a row and is yet to win a home match this season in the Indian Super League.
Coyle has always been a staunch advocate of creating more chances rather than just scoring goals. However, this philosophy has fallen flat, especially in the last three games. Since that 5-1 hammering of Jamshedpur FC, Chennaiyin has failed not only to win but also to find the net.
After the Jamshedpur FC win, Chennaiyin played the Kerala Blasters, losing 0-3. In that match, Coyle’s men failed to create a single big chance over the 90 minutes, while Kerala created four. Chennaiyin had an xG (expected goals) of 1.20 compared to the Blasters’ 1.91.
Kerala Blasters celebrates scoring against Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. | Photo Credit: FSDL/ISL Media
In the next match against Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Chennaiyin lost 0-1, failing to create any big chance. Despite restricting Mohun Bagan to just a goal, the Mariners had a better xG of 0.64 compared to Chennaiyin’s 0.23.
Against East Bengal, the chance creation improved with Daniel Chima Chukwu coming close to scoring on three occasions, but Coyle’s men failed to convert, losing 0-2 after an excellent second-half performance by Bruzon’s men.
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“The problem is we are not being clinical enough. Even against Kerala and Mohun Bagan, we had chances where we could have scored but didn’t. In the end, that hurt us,” Coyle said after the loss against East Bengal, stressing that it is high time that his players start stepping up and taking responsibility.
After the win against Jamshedpur, Chennayin was in a promising sixth place after eight matches. After three consecutive losses, it has dropped to ninth.
Being away from home
It has been a torrid time for the Chennaiyin fans at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as they are yet to see their team win a home match this season. Out of 11, Chennayin has played four home matches, losing and drawing two each.
However, seven of Chennaiyin’s clashes have been away from home. In fact, it has played the most away matches till now, with Coyle repeatedly pointing out the skewed schedule.
“Obviously, you want your home to be a fortress, but honestly, we are just happy to play a home match. We have played seven away matches now, that is more than any other team in the league. I have never seen a schedule like this,” Coyle told the media before the East Bengal match but also admitted that it cannot be an excuse and that the team has to adjust to the circumstances.
The Connor Shields factor
Connor Shields has been one of the biggest positives for Chennaiyin this season. He has scored one goal and bagged four assists - one behind Greg Stewart, who tops the chart. With 42 chances created till now, the 27-year-old Scotsman has virtually become undroppable.
Shields has been one of Chennaiyin’s most important players on the pitch, having created 42 chances so far. | Photo Credit: FSDL/ISL Media
With Shields being such an influential presence in midfield and from the flanks with his pinpoint crosses inside the box, suggestions have come up regarding Coyle shaping his team around him. While Coyle admits the brilliance of Shields, he said that other players have to step up as well and that one player should not carry the entire burden of creating chances.
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“I don’t think anybody crosses the ball inside the box more than us. But we need to take our chances, plain and simple. And it is not just Connor - we have players like Farukh (Choudhary) as well,” Coyle said.
The areas of concern
Chennaiyin’s biggest problem this season has been conceding cheap goals. In 11 matches, Coyle’s men have kept just one clean sheet, something the Scot admits that needs to improve.
Coyle made some promising signings in the summer, especially in the attacking department, after bringing on players like Gurkirat Singh and Kiyan Nassiri. However, the Scotsman is yet to integrate them into the starting 11, with both mostly coming off the bench late, which has not left them with much time to pose a threat.
Kiyan Nassiri, who moved to Chennaiyin from Mohun Bagan Super Giant this summer, has failed to break into the starting 11 on a regular basis. | Photo Credit: FSDL/ISL Media
According to Coyle, he needs to see more in training from them and said they will eventually feature more. However, the questions remain about increasing the goalscoring.
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Chima Chukwu, one of Chennaiyin’s main forwards, has just two goals in 11 appearances. Wilmar Jordan Gil has better, with six in the same number of outings, but the scoring has not been consistent, which has seen the team drop points.
Currently, Chennaiyin sits ninth in the table with 12 points in 11 matches. Facing a struggling Hyderabad FC next, it has the perfect chance to grab three points and bring back some of the lost momentum.
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