Mumbai City will return to the Mumbai Football Arena on Saturday, where they will face Hyderabad FC in a crucial home encounter. The Islanders will be eager to redeem themselves and bounce back from a 0-3 defeat against Punjab FC earlier this week. Head Coach Petr Kratky and forward Vikram Partap Singh emphasized the team's commitment to putting on a strong performance in the upcoming fixtures. With 10 points from 8 matches, Mumbai City currently sit in 10th position on the table.
Reflecting on Mumbai City's previous match against Punjab FC, Kratky said, “It’s a disappointing result, and understandably, we are all disappointed. But this is part of football, and we accept that. We had a good chat with the boys, came together, regrouped, and talked about every detail that we need to improve on to move forward. I believe the boys are ready, and we’re expecting a different attitude and energy in the next game.”
Acknowledging the sentiments of the fans, Kratky added, “First of all, we have a strong relationship with the fans, and we remain intact. We love their support, and we understand they must be disappointed. However, it's clear that we need to improve the way we play and how we approach games. That’s obvious. While we didn’t have too many dates to put in extensive work on the ground, we’ve had a lot of discussions about the areas we need to improve.”
Looking ahead to the match against Hyderabad FC, Kratky reflected on their previous performance, saying, “For us, we start with the basics. Last game, that wasn't us at all. All stats worked for us in terms of keeping possession and creating chances, but we need to fight. We need energy, and we need speed. That’s what we were missing against Punjab, and we want to bring it against Hyderabad.”
Vikram Partap Singh also spoke about the team's motivation for the next game, underlining the positive morale in the camp. “Definitely, we know we can do much better. But from the first training session this week, we tried to move on and focus on our next game. So, that has been our priority – to win the next game for our fans.”
Addressing the fans, the 22-year-old, “We know you are always with us; you have made it clear you are not happy with us now. I urge you to come support us tomorrow, and we will do our best to give you the win you deserve.”
Echoing these sentiments, Kratky concluded, “We know the fans are frustrated, and we’re also frustrated because we’re in the same boat. We want to win, so things need to change. We want to prove ourselves now. We’re always grateful for the fans, and we want them in the stadium supporting us. But we also need to deliver on the pitch what they expect from us. We can lose, but not the way we lost the last game. We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again. So, against Hyderabad, we’ll give our best to prove it.”
