Hyderabad FC coach Manolo Marquez addressed the media ahead of the match against ATK Mohun Bagan on Wednesday at the Fatorda Stadium from 7:30 PM.
Hyderabad FC have been in brilliant form this season having won 4 of their 8 matches, while 3 matches ended in a draw, and they lost just one match. Manolo Marquez spoke about this incredible run of form by the Nizams as they currently sit on the 2nd spot in the table.
“I think the moment is very similar to last season in January. If we are unbeaten it means that we either draw or win the games, then we continue in a good position in the table. But I know that all the coaches know that we are playing in a competition in which seven or eight teams have a difference of three-four points between them. We have to continue playing well, and tomorrow we will have a very difficult match. Let’s see what happens and I think that it will be a good game.”
Every good team has a good defense that does not concede many goals. The same goes for Hyderabad FC who has the best defensive record in this season so far having conceded the fewest amount of goals
“No, for me speaking about all the competitions in the world, the team who concedes the fewer goals in a competition will be the champion or finish second or third. It will be a good season for us if we are able to finish the season by conceding the fewest amount of goals. we will finish in the top four of the league for sure if we are able to do that. But for now, it’s important that we continue this momentum of our unbeaten run of games.”
ATK Mohun Bagan shocked everyone when they appointed FC Goa gaffer Juan Ferrando as their head coach in place of Antonio Lopez who parted ways with the club earlier amidst the winless run. Manolo spoke on it and shared his opinion on the Mariners’ new head coach.
“Juan Ferrando is a very good coach, and I already told that in the interview before the match against FC Goa. Now, he has had more time to work since his arrival, but it will take some more time for their team to adapt to his style. Maybe he will change or he is trying to change some things in their playing style, but for me, they are a dangerous side since they have many good players in the attack and they score many goals from the set-pieces. But still, Antonio Lopez Habas deserves more respect for the team that he has built and it’s the result of his work.
“For sure ATK Mohun Bagan is a big team and they will not just finish in the top four spots but they will challenge for the title as well. Let’s see how we are in the middle of the competition and all of us are aware that winning the matches will give us confidence.”
Manolo Marquez was asked about how he is preparing the team for a difficult game against a strong opponent. This is what he had to say,
“When you play against strong teams like ATK Mohun Bagan, every detail is very important. They have many good players who can hurt us if we make even a simple mistake. we have to control and mark these players and try to play our style of football. We cannot go and defend for the whole match. Let’s see what happens, but we don’t want to change our style of play depending upon the strengths of our opponent.”
Bartholomew Ogbeche has been one of the Key players for Hyderabad FC this season. Manolo Marquez praised him for his goalscoring form and also his role in guiding young players,
“He’s always helping the young players. He’s a great player, and he has a lot of experience in many countries. In India, he has been playing for four seasons now, with four different teams and he has scored goals in every team he has played. He’s a very important player for us because he’s the leading goal scorer for us and also a contender for the top scorer in the league. But for sure he needs the help of the other players in the team, and he also helps young players and motivates the team.”
Hyderabad FC has a tight schedule in the month of January as they play 7 matches in the space of a month. Marquez gave his verdict on how the team is preparing for the upcoming games,
“We have to manage this situation I think that we have a good squad. There is a space of four days between the matches in January so, if the players recover fast. But I think that the squad is ready for this challenge. I don’t know what the will be the results but I am sure that we are prepared.”
The January window is utilized by all teams to reinforce and increase the strength, but Manolo feels the Nizams are done with the transfer business, and he is happy with the players he has at the moment.
“No, I don’t think that there will be any more additions to our squad in the January transfer window. We have already signed experienced winger Seityasen Singh as Halicharan Narzary is injured and will return in the later stages. Also, we have promoted a couple of players from the youth academy. We have many players in all the positions, and we are happy with the squad that we have, and we will try to continue with the same squad for the rest of the season.”
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