ISL: ATK interim coach Westwood under 'no pressure'

Struggling defending champions ATK may have sacked Teddy Sheringham, but interim coach Ashley Westwood, who was the team's technical director, is hopeful of a fightback and is not worried about the hullabaloo surrounding the Indian Super League (ISL) franchise.

"We haven't had a lot of time to instil massive difference. I hope we can inject a little bit of freshness, fresh face may change things or our fortunes, it can be as simple as having a little bit of luck," Westwood told reporters in his first press conference as head coach.

"We have not been disgraceful, we are not rock bottom in the points table. Some results have been fine margins...let's see where we go. There is no pressure. We want to go in the right direction," he added.

The decision to sack Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur great Sheringham came from the team management just a day before their home game against Chennaiyin FC.

"I got a phone call last night, I think it was around 8-8:30. The CEO told me that he had a meeting with Sanjiv Goenka, one of the owners, and he relayed his thoughts that the campaign hasn't gone the way he envisaged and they were making a change. They are looking for a new head coach and I help out in the immediate future. I am contracted to the club as technical director and have a responsibility to fulfil, and wherever the owners want me to fill it," Westwood explained.

At the moment, it is very difficult for ATK to make it to the knockout stages as they are eighth in the points table after 10 games. They have eight more league games to go.

Asked how he would look to motivate the team already shorn of the services of star Irishman Robbie keane -- out with an injury -- Westwood said it has to come from within the players.

"Motivation... as professional footballers, you are playing at a fantastic stadium and in front of great fans. So you look at the stands and get motivation. It's not upto me, they need to find motivation in themselves," the former Bengaluru FC's I-League winning coach said.

There has been talk of Westwood and Sheringham not being on the same page all the time. Westwood though rubbished those as "rumours" adding he would not be making drastic changes to the team strategy.

"That would be news to me. Me and Teddy had a good relationship. We spoke about many things, he has never come to me with displeasure of any player so if somebody tells me that directly I would dismiss that as a rumour," he said.

"I won't be making a lot of changes too soon. I would want to motivate the players as much as I can and hopefully they will respond better," he added.

Sheringham was named coach in July last year.

--IANS

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