Manolo Marquez gives his assessment of opponents NorthEast United

The tactician is wary of the threat posed by the Highlanders.

Hyderabad FC are set to face NorthEast United in their next Indian Super League (ISL 2022-23) fixture at the G.M.C Balayogi Athletic Stadium on Thursday. It is going to be an exciting contest between two teams at opposite ends of the league table. Manolo Marquez is keeping his team focused before the upcoming game. He was in conversation with the reporters during the pre-match press conference and acknowledges NEUFC’s qualities despite their struggles in the 2022-23 season.

Manolo Marquez was also joined by in-form winger Mohammad Yasir in the interaction with the media who also took questions. Here are the excerpts from the conversation:

Mood is Good

“When you win, it is always important,” he said responding to the importance of winning against Bengaluru FC last time around. “The mood in the camp now is very good and (the team is) ready to play against another good team. Let us see what happens tomorrow,” a confident Marquez further added.

A difficult game

Manolo Marquez had praise for their upcoming opponents NorthEast United while speaking to the journalists. In their favour, he said, “They did not deserve to have zero points with the former coach. If you remember, in the first game against Bengaluru, they did not deserve to lose. In some games, they lost in injury time, against ATK Mohun Bagan in Kolkata. They play good games.”

He added, “They won against ATK Mohun Bagan, one of the strongest teams in the competition. They improved in all aspects - they defend better and are dangerous in counter-attacks. They have good players and it is another game which is difficult. Now, since they won the other day against ATK Mohun Bagan, it is more difficult.”

Impact of the new coach

The Spaniard believes that the Highlanders are playing better under their new head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese. He said, “The team is improving. They are more compact now. They defend and attack better. I think that they will have more points by the end of the competition. But, we have to focus on our game and try to win it. We wish all the best for them.”

Mohammad Yasir on returning to the team

“I was feeling strange while not playing football. I was sad. Rohit Danu was also making a comeback and I was happy for him. Now, I am ready for the next game,” he said while talking about a brief period on the sidelines.

“NorthEast United will play with confidence. They won the last match against ATK Mohun Bagan. The coach is new and the tactics have changed. It is going to be a tough game. We have to remain focused for the 90 minutes to win this match,” he further added on the kind of challenge the Highlanders will pose when the teams clash on the pitch.