Manuel Marquez: Kerala Blasters didn’t deserve to lose against ATK Mohun Bagan

Hyderabad will look to bounce back from the defeat they suffered last week when they face Kerala Blasters on Sunday evening…

Hyderabad FC coach Manuel Marquez rates Kerala Blasters highly despite the fact that they have not won a single game in this edition of the Indian Super League (ISL).

Marquez heaped praise on coach Kibu Vicuna given that he won the I-League last season with Mohun Bagan and also believes that they have a good bunch of players.

“Kerala is a very good team. Their first game against ATK Mohun Bagan they did not deserve to lose. They equalised late last game. They deserve more points than they have. I know (Luis) Vicente as he was my player in Las Palmas. They have great players. The coach (Vicuna) won the I-League last season. It will be an equal game and they are a very good team,” said Marquez.

Hyderabad FC suffered their first defeat in the last game and coach Marquez will want a reaction from his side. However, he went on to state that the loss to Mumbai City FC hasn’t hampered his team’s morale.

“You know in football, there are three possibilities. It is impossible to win, draw or lose always. I am sure our team will try tomorrow to play a good game. The defeat against Mumbai doesn’t affect our team for tomorrow’s match,” he shared his thoughts.

“We are playing 4-2-3-1 and sometimes 4-4-2. I noted some details against Mumbai where we can improve and maybe we can change some players. But not too many tactical changes for the game tomorrow,” he added.

Hyderabad have been unlucky when it comes to injuries especially to their foreign contingent. They are the only team to have fielded their full quota of five foreigners in just one game and thanks to the performances and grit shown by their young Indian players, the club has done reasonably well.

Marquez was asked if inexperience has come to hurt his side in the current campaign to which he replied, “I remember only one clear good chance against Mumbai. If we had equalised at the end of the first half, the second half would have been different. In some moments, I thought it was a game with real players against young inexperienced players. But I am happy with the second half. But in ISL, when you are playing with a young squad these things can happen.”

He once again reiterated that except for Mumbai City FC, who are a cut above the rest, most teams in the ISL can compete on their given day.

“It is a strange situation. For me, only Mumbai is better than the others. There are a lot of strong teams. In the beginning, it is normal most teams are on the same level. It does not mean that teams higher on the table will have it easy against lower-ranked teams. Nobody can tell what will happen in matches. Small details decide the game,” he opined.

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