Jamshedpur FC shocked everyone by winning the Indian Super League winners Shield as they topped the league phase last season under the stewardship of Owen Coyle. However with Coyle’s departure, it became tough for Jamshedpur FC but they have brought in a very able coach in Aidy Boothroyd and has managed to keep hold most of the core who helped them get to that stage last season.
Speaking about the current season, Jamshedpur FC skipper Peter Hartley shared that the team is still in transition and the new players are still getting to know each other and adapting to coach Boothroyd’s style and gameplay. Jamshedpur FC went down to Odisha FC in their opening game despite leading the game for a long time. So was not an ideal start for the Englishman in India.
“Our football under Aidy Boothroyd has massively evolved. The way we want to play, the structure behind the way we play, the triggers – with and without the ball, there’s a lot of information and it takes time to adapt and improvise with things,” Peter Hartley revealed on the Let’s Football Show.
Hartley shared how last season they focused on their strengths and kept improving and stuck together as team and the results took care of themselves. He feels that the team had an unapologetic attitude which made them league winners. “Last season, we were unapologetic. We knew exactly what we were as a team and we stuck with our strengths and rolled teams over. We didn’t need to apologize to no one about the way we played and the results took care of themselves,” the former Motherwell defender added.
Apart from Owen Coyle, Jamshedpur FC have bid goodbyes to star player Greg Stewart, Jordan Murray and Alex Lima. While most of the core has stayed and are helping the new manager to get along as quickly as possible according to Hartely who understands that these things take time.
“A new manager has come in and the core of the team has stayed together apart from Jordan Murray and Greg Stewart. The manager has a really good mentality and base to build on and he’s implementing his own ideas. Everything takes time especially with new fundamentals, principals, and the way he wants to play and his ideas. We’ve had a good solid 7 weeks now,” the centre back highlighted.
This is the third season for Peter Hartley and he reveals how every single season teams and players have improved. So it is a tad bit difficult for a new coach to come and instantly give success.
“Since the time I came here, the Hero ISL as a whole and every single team here has massively improved,” he asserted.
Jamshedpur FC and Aidy Boothroyd will look to secure their first win of the season as they will travel to Mumbai to face the former Champions, Mumbai City FC.
