Hyderabad FC were just too good for Jamshedpur FC as the Nizams scripted yet another win this season in the Indian Super League. A second half strike from Mohammed Yasir changed the game completely as Hyderabad FC dominated the second half where the Men of Steel got a couple of chances to come back in the game which they squandered.
While head coach Manolo Marquez is satisfied with the overall morale of the team and the dressing environment, he demands more conviction from his team as this win was too close for comfort. The Spaniard understands that these small leads are often cancelled out during the end phases of the match.
While he was happy for the team and their hard fought win he also wants to point out how uncomfortable it got in the end with Jamshedpur FC getting chances. But it was their good luck that Ishan Pandita could not keep that final chance on target. It was a wide open chance for the Men of Steel.
“The dressing room is always happy when you win games. But I think it is my obligation to insist (from the team) that we need to keep going and demand more (from ourselves) because winning with such small margins of 1-0 is too dangerous,” Manolo Marquez stated at the post match press conference.
He shared how his team played better in the second half but he was very concerned with the slender lead as he saw his opponents getting some chances late on in the game. The Spaniard is overall very happy with the outcome as Hyderabad FC are at the top with 16 points from six games.
“We played better in the second half, but Jamshedpur FC had at least two clear chances, especially through Ishan Pandita, to equalise the game. We are happy that after six games we have 16 points, which is a very good return in this league,” Marquez highlighted.
The only downside from this 1-0 win over Jamshedpur was Laxmikant Kattimani’s injury. The goalkeeper was stretchered out of the ground in the first half and things did not look good for the Nizams. Manolo Marquez also shared how the custodian is not able to put his foot on the ground and will be out for several games. It is obviously a massive blow for the Nizams to lose their leader and custodian.
“It is very early to speak about it, and it does not seem to be good. I prefer to say nothing because I might be wrong. He cannot put his foot on the floor, let us see what kind of injury it is. Kattimani is going to be out for some games, that’s for sure,” he revealed.
Manolo Marquez’s team have now beaten each and every team in the ISL ever since he arrived in India. Jamshedpur FC have been a thorn in the flesh for the Spaniard and now he has finally managed to break the jinx. But the Spanish tactician is not too bothered as he wants to focus on the next game against Kerala Blasters.
“I know this is true, but I did not think about it. Jamshedpur FC are a very difficult team to face. In our previous meetings, I remember we drew 0-0 and 1-1, and in the last game, they won 3-0. It is true we arrived at the best moment than the opponent, and finally we have beaten all the teams in Hero ISL. For us, the important thing is our next game against Kerala Blasters FC,” Marquez concluded.
