We want to retain the trophy: John Gregory

When Indian Super League defending champion Chennaiyin FC stepped out of the tunnel at a noisy Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi for the semi-finals of the Season 1, all that separated it from the Kerala Blasters was two yards, four points and four clean sheets. Despite a valiant fightback, CFC was sent home empty-handed courtesy leaking a flurry of goals in the first leg.

Since then, the Chennai-based franchise has been on top of the pile in terms of clean sheets twice, clinching the title on both occasions. While the Season 2 victory was masterminded by a defensive wall in Marco Materazzi, John Gregory brought back the cup in 2018 with his astute leadership.

Speaking on the significance of maintaining a good defensive shape throughout the season, Gregory said, “We spend a lot of work on that side of our game. When you have a good defensive unit, you can win championships. We had eight clean sheets last season, which was good but can be bettered. We have managed to keep hold of Mailson (Alves) and (Inigo) Calderon who were huge players for us in ISL 4. Jerry had a great outing too but has now got one or two people challenging him for his place.” 

When everyone was of the opinion that the Italian flavour at the club was gone after the departure of Materazzi, the two-time title-winner recently announced the arrival of Spanish-born Andrea Orlandi. He is the latest entrant into the CFC’s Azzuri community which once had the legendary Alessandro Nesta. Talking about the attacker, the 64-year-old added, “Orlandi is a real good talent and can play in any of the six attacking positions. He has not won much as he should have won. He is a fantastic talent and I think he will flourish.”

On what he expects from the upcoming season, the former Aston Villa manager remarked, “Everyone (the players) has their own standards. You are expected to do the same this year, if not better. We want to retain the trophy which no team has done before. It is not going to be easy. This is a lovely piece of artwork (pointing to the team badge). We all are very proud of wearing it.“

Gregory said he will rewind to the victorious campaign only to refer to matches in which his team got battered. “We will have to make everyone aware of what has happened in the past (ISL 3).  Players have to be notified about that and I am wary of it. Last season can only be used as a reference and we won’t discuss it very often.  We also have the trophy to prove it. We have got to do it all over again. That’s what champions do,” stated the Englishman.

Of the seven slots that have been allotted to the overseas signings, Chennaiyin has already made use of five, which features only one incoming player. The return of Season 4 captain Henrique Sereno is still uncertain, with the side having an eye on five other options for the two remaining positions.  Asked about who would wear the armband in case the Portuguese does not come back, the coach opined, 

“Appointing the captain is not a huge decision to make, it’s not really a worry. We will just get on with it. Mailson played like a captain and so did Calderon. During one of the matches, coming in at half-time, I was just about to speak. Mailson stood up and he shouted in Portuguese for about six minutes. Even though we didn’t understand what he was saying, we all knew what he was trying to point out. We had a completely different team in the second half.”