Manolo Marquez: FC Goa were thousand times better than us in first half

The tactician was in full praise of forward Bartholomew Ogbeche.

Hyderabad FC secured a 3-1 win against FC Goa at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Thursday in their latest Indian Super League (ISL 2022-23) contest. It was the fifth consecutive win for Manolo Marquez's side this season.

However, the tactician was not impressed with his side’s performance, especially in the first half. Furthermore, it took an outstanding hat-trick by Bartholomew Ogbeche to salvage the win against a side that had the backing of the spectators inside the stadium.

Talking to the media in the post-match press conference, Marquez talked about his team coming alive after FCG’s equaliser and more. Here are excerpts from the conversation:

Not satisfied

Speaking on his team’s performance, Manolo Marquez admitted he was not happy with it. While talking about if he was satisfied with what he saw, he said, “Not too much. We are in game number 13 and closer to the finish. During 20 games, you play good, bad, all sorts of games. In the first half, FC Goa were one thousand times better than us.”

“When they equalised, we started to play. We could see HFC on the pitch (after they scored) because, in the first 55-60 minutes, we did not exist,” he further added.

Happy about the points

Despite not performing to the usual levels, the head coach was happy to get the points.

“It is always crucial to win, if you play good or bad. I prefer three points but the way to achieve it is to play in a good way. If we play like this, we won't have a lot of chances to win games. It is fantastic to have five consecutive wins. I said (previously) that my players deserve a monument in Hyderabad,” the tactician mentioned.

Praise for Bartholomew Ogbeche

It was due to Bartholomew Ogbeche's hat-trick that Hyderabad FC returned with three points. The head coach praised the striker and pointed out how he plays an important role in the team. He said, “Even at 38, with three goals (in the game), he is only one behind the current top-scorer(s). We know what kind of a player he is. He is the top-scorer in the history of the ISL and an important player for us. Even if he does not score goals, he does a good job for the team.”