Magi-Coyle Messiah for the Marina Machans

Magi-Coyle it has been, indeed. The Scot was brought in when the club was ninth on the table with a mere five points in its kitty. CFC had scored just four goals and conceded 10. Post John Gregory’s departure, Owen Coyle’s job was unenviable. His task was to not just get the confidence of the players up but also bring some semblance to their style of play.

The brief would have been to ensure that the club finishes as high as possible in the standings and not end up with the wooden spoon for a second consecutive season. The former Wigan Athletic head coach has managed to bring high intensity football to the ‘Marina Machans’ and it’s fair to state that the players have adapted to his approach.

There are phases in every CFC match where it attacks, presses with intensity higher up the field and enforces a mistake from the opposition. “We have shown we are dangerous offensively. But we need to have some balance. I think we are moving in the right direction, but we are nowhere near being the finished article. The players need to remember they are representing the two-time champion,” said Coyle.

He reminded his boys that they play for a big club that has won titles and that they have the inherent ability to play much better than what they were dishing out earlier in the campaign. In its last seven league games, CFC picked up 19 points from a possible 21 and it definitely had momentum on its side going into the play-offs.

The forward line of Nerijus Valskis, Rafael Crivellaro, Andre Schembri and Lallianzuala Chhangte has been on fire. “The other thing that is very important in football is momentum. If you can get on that run, it would be great. The club has shown that in previous seasons and has found the momentum and gone on a winning run,” he added.

It’s not just about the results. Coyle has made Chennaiyin one of the most entertaining sides to watch alongside Goa this season. The camaraderie between the front four or the understanding between Anirudh Thapa and Edwin Vanspaul in the middle to how he has got the best out of Lucian Goian and Eli Sabia, Coyle has certainly made his mark in ISL.

A beleaguered Goa had to bear the brunt of a rampant CFC in the semi-final first leg, which is going into the away leg with a 4-1 advantage. “I can assure there will be no complacency. We haven’t come this far to be complacent,” guaranteed Coyle.