FNS: We're improving at a fast rate

CLG are one of the qualified teams for the StarSeries Season 3 event, having finished in the top two in the North American qualifiers following victories over Bee's Money Crew, OpTic and Renegades in the playoffs. 

The Canadian player is ready and confident for Kiev

We sat down with Pujan "⁠FNS⁠" Mehta to get to know a bit more about his return to CLG, his views on the competition's format, the team's recent changes and the preparation for the event, among other topics.

We'd like to start by talking about your roster changes. For example, koosta is usually the primary AWPer, but during the last series of the Austin qualifiers (vs. LG) we saw Rickeh use this weapon a lot more. How does that work, how do you decide which player gets to AWP?

I do not decide who awps and who doesn't. Kenny felt like his rifle was on point and wasn't really feeling the AWP after map 1 so he just handed it over to Rickeh, who is perfectly comfortable with it.

Was Rickeh the only player you considered or did you try out more players? Why did the team ultimately pick an Australian over a North American player?

It was between Hazed and Rickeh. Ultimately, the team went with Rickeh because of his skill set and because we would be able to double AWP with him. His style is very similar to Hazed's. It was a hard choice because we all like hazed and felt he'd be a good fit, but, in the end, we ended up going with Rick.

You managed to secure 2-0 victories in the last two matches of the SL i-League StarSeries Season 3 qualifiers, one of which against Renegades. What are your thoughts on the team's performances?

I think we played extremely well, but we're still making ridiculous mistakes in the mid round, and getting over aggressive on the CT side. The good thing about this team is everyone takes accountability for their mistakes, which makes my job that much easier. Tactically, we need work, and that's on me. We're still playing at our opponents' level, and once we get past that barrier, I think you'll see better results from us.

It has been a while since CLG last competed at a big event (except for the ELEAGUE Major qualifier). Do you think this could be the start of a new era for the team? 

I don't like to think too far ahead. We are obviously improving at a fast rate, but if we don't keep working hard, we'll fall behind. It's better to play one match at a time and focus on the next game, so I don't like thinking we'll make the next 5 LANs just because we played well in one qualifier. We still need to work a lot harder and play a lot better to compete with the best in the world. I can confidently say that, if we stay on this track, we will continue to improve and eventually break into the top 10.

After leaving CLG, you spent a year on TSM, who are now without a team and have not yet stated whether they plan to return to the scene. Does it sadden you that such a household name is not involved in Counter-Strike right now?

It would be nice to see TSM pick up an up and coming team, but I am not sure if that'll happen. I don't have any feelings of sadness towards them not being in the scene, but TSM treated me well for the most part so I hope the whole “Sean vs Regi” Twitter argument has not ruined the organization's reputation.

What has your preparation for the event been like? What aspects have you been focusing on?

Honestly, we're looking to improve our own game more than looking at other teams. I like to study my opponents, but, at the moment, I believe we need to focus on our own mistakes and fix a lot of our problems more than anti-stratting. That has been our main focus. A lot of dry running, watching our own demos, fixing the little things and polishing up our CT sides.

Do you think the best-of-one Swiss stage format increases your team's chances of surprising one of the bigger sides? What are your thoughts on this format?

Bo1s usually favor the underdog, and we are definitely the underdogs going into this tournament, so yes. I think this format favors us, so I can't complain too much. That being said, I still believe bo3s are the way to go.

Is there any squad in particular you'd like to face?

I'd really like to play FaZe, personally. I think that lineup has the most individual talent out of any team in the top 10 and I would love to see how we'd fare vs that team and Karrigan's style of calling.

In the recent "Behind the Scenes" episode, you stated your belief that you could once again be part of a successful CLG team if you got “the right lineup” (Rickeh was not on the roster at the time of filming). Is this the right lineup, in your opinion?

Yes. I have a lot of faith that if we put in the right amount of work and give it everything we have, this version of CLG will have more success than any other. Obviously, actions speak louder than words and hopefully, in time, we will prove that we can be great. 

You have two pretty young players in CLG, koosta and nahtE—do you take their age and experience in consideration when managing and leading the team? Is there anything you approach differently when dealing with them in comparison with your other, more experienced teammates?

For the most part, I treat all my teammates the same when it comes to leading. Everyone on this team has a very good sense of teamwork so when they make mistakes, usually, they just call themselves out so i don't have to. I can say that leading this team is a lot easier than any other team I have ever led, in terms of fixing mistakes and work ethic. Even the younger players you mentioned put in a lot of time to improve so I don't have any complaints.