Indian players are key to our success: Manolo Marquez

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Football Club are high on confidence after recording a victory over Bengaluru FC in their previous match. The result helped them to extend the unbeaten record to three matches in the Indian Super League as the team jumped to fifth place in the table. The buoyed HFC will take on NorthEast United in […]

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Football Club are high on confidence after recording a victory over Bengaluru FC in their previous match. The result helped them to extend the unbeaten record to three matches in the Indian Super League as the team jumped to fifth place in the table. The buoyed HFC will take on NorthEast United in their next encounter, on Monday.

Speaking on the eve of their clash, Hyderabad coach Manolo Marquez said that the NorthEast United are a tough team to beat despite the side not having good results recently. They are placed ninth in the table with one win, one draw and three losses. They are coming into this after a loss against Odisha FC. “Irrespective of their form, I think NorthEast are a strong team. They played a good game and did not deserve to lose against Odisha. Like every other game, this one will be very difficult as well for us,” said the 53-year-old Spaniard.

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“They have good foreign players, and some strong Indian players as well. I am sure it will be a very interesting game for the audience,” he added. Hyderabad defeated Mumbai City FC before their clash against Bengaluru and drew with Jamshedpur FC. The coach said he is happy with the team’s performance but they are into just four games and there is a long way to go in the season to judge their performance. He also believed that the presence of good Indian players in the team is crucial for any team’s success. “Given that we have to play with seven Indian players all the time on the pitch, they are going to be crucial for our success. I am very happy with the foreign players we have. But the thing is the Indian pool is very talented. The mix we have is very good,” he added.

The Spaniard is also delighted with HFC’s first clean sheet. “Overall, we were good in our defence so far. Our performance in the first half (against Bengaluru FC) was good. We had more problems in the second half but we deserved the three points. In the last 20 minutes they attacked us a lot but we stayed firm.” Hyderabad FC always conceded the first goal of the match until the Bengaluru match and the coach said scoring the first goal did help them set the pace. He also said that they need to improve given that there are many Indian footballers in the lineup. “Physical condition is important. We need to be in a good position in defence and when you are winning you need to have the ball. If you don’t keep the ball, the opposition can score and equalise.”

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