ISL: Difficult to qualify for playoffs, will not give up, says Jamshedpur FC coach after loss to Kerala Blasters

Kochi (Kerala) [India], January 4 (ANI): Jamshedpur FC head coach Aidy Boothroyd cut a frustrated figure as his side went down against Kerala Blasters FC in a 3-1 loss in matchweek 13 of the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Kochi, on Tuesday, lamenting at the fact that they could not produce a positive result despite a good performance.
Apostolos Giannou, Dimitrios Diamantakos, and Adrian Luna found themselves on the scoresheet for Kerala Blasters FC while Daniel Chima Chukwu scored an equaliser for the Men of Steel in the first half. With this result, the Blasters cruised to an eight-game unbeaten run.
Boothroyd expressed his appreciation to the opponent for their victory and admitted that they were the better team on the night.
"First of all, I want to give respect to the opponent, who is a very good team. I thought we created chances, and that was the key, we picked the team with players that were available, which gave us the best chance of producing a result. It is frustrating and disappointing, but it was a good performance overall where we were not able to produce a result," the head coach said in the post-match press conference as quoted by an ISL press release.
Even after creating a number of chances, Boothroyd's men failed to outscore their opponent, and that is something the head coach wants to rectify as finishing has been a problem for them throughout the season. He believes recruitment in the ongoing January transfer window will come to their aid.
"There are a variety of ways we can get closer to the goal, so either we have to play with aggressive players or with players like Ritwik Das, who came on and did well. We have to make sure that the key for us is to get the right players in the right zone, so a couple of signings this week can make us a stronger team for the next game," he stated.
Jamshedpur FC are a long way off the playoff spot with only five points from 12 games this season so far, but the Englishman believes it is not impossible and has faith in his team to fight until the end while evolving as a group.
"It is going to be difficult (to qualify for the playoffs). There is a big banner in the stadium that says never give up, and I will not give up, the team and our club will not give up, so we have to build a team around it," the Englishman said.
The reigning ISL League Winners face a worrisome situation as they sit tenth on the table, and face Chennaiyin FC and East Bengal FC in their next two games, which will be crucial fixtures for Boothroyd's side to regroup and regain their form.
"Confidence is a big thing, and you get it by working hard, there is no substitute for hard work, and that is what we need to do. It is good for a head coach to see his team fight until the end," he concluded. (ANI)