Panaji: Two of FC Goa’s official fan groups joined hands to express their disappointment at the club’s opening matches in the Indian Super League (ISL). Two home games, both draws.“Poor creativity, predictable attacks down the flanks, meaningless back passes even in the dying minutes and wasteful finishing,” the fan clubs said on social media. “Show some hunger, show some intent, and give us a reason to believe.” The performances, they insisted, “is simply not good enough.”Goa captain and the team’s most experienced player, Sandesh Jhingan, then took to social media to tell the players’ side of the story. “Four games in last 11 days and still the team showed immense character and never give up attitude till the last. This makes me so proud of being part of this group.”Jhingan said he was “aware of the disappointment of our loyal FC Goa fans” but also aware of the squad’s potential.Coach Gouramangi Singh followed a similar path when speaking with reporters ahead of the clash against Inter Kashi in Pune on Sunday. His appeal was simple: these are early days, the team has potential, many of the players are making their debuts in the top tier or playing regularly for the first time, and results will follow, sooner rather than later.“There are some areas where we were not good enough to collect all points, but we can look forward to the next game,” Gouramangi told TOI during the pre-match media interaction. “Like I said before, results will come. If you look at the celebration (for the equaliser), you could see that the team was very happy (with the effort and result). Sometimes I see it in the body language of the players. How much they cared to make a comeback.”Without a win after two home games, Gouramangi said it’s an “absolute must” to win against Inter Kashi, a side that is at the bottom of the table with a point from three games. That the former I-League champions have no foreign player and started training only a week before should hand advantage to Goa. But, the coach warned, no points can be taken for granted in any top tier league.“We have to respect opponents. Football is very dynamic. Football can surprise you many times. We cannot think we will win this game by just showing up. This is a mistake we cannot afford against Kashi. I am certain the boys will give everything to register a win“I have been very clear with the boys right from the first day. In return, all that I ask is 100% effort and commitment. We are heading in the right direction. We are fighting against time; everyone wants to see results immediately,” said Gouramangi.The Goa coach, who was assistant to Manolo Marquez for three seasons, also touched on the need for better finishing. Against SC Delhi in the last game, the hosts had 20 shots. The result? A last-gasp equaliser from a freekick.“I’m not very much into stats, but if we have arrived (in goal scoring positions) 20 times (and got just one goal), the decision-making needs to be better. All of us need to do better,” said Gouramangi.Against a side that is rooted at the bottom, Goa will have their chances. How much they capitalise holds the key to this team’s future.
