Vincenzo Alberto Annese wants Hira Mondal to take revenge over BFC

The NorthEast United head coach also gave an update on the injuries in his side.

With a hope to turn things around in 2023, NorthEast United will host Bengaluru FC to get their new year underway. Vincenzo Alberto Annese's side will hope to begin the year on a fresh note after a series of disappointing performances in 2022.

NorthEast United will face the Blues who themselves are experiencing a bad run of form. The former champions have lost eight games since their previous meeting with the Highlanders in October, 2022.

Ahead of the game, head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese and defender Gaurav Bora addressed the media.

Thoughts on Bengaluru FC

The Blues are also languishing in the bottom half of the table. Sharing his thoughts on opponents Bengaluru FC, Annese said that they are a very good team with special qualities.

“They are a good quality team and play a particular system. BFC play with three centre-backs and can cause problems. We are aware of their qualities especially with (Roy) Krishna and (Sunil) Chhetri. But we play at home so we’ll do our best to give a good performance tomorrow,” he asserted.

Impact on the team

Vincenzo Alberto Annese shared his thoughts on how the team has adapted to his style of football.

“In the four games that I’ve been here, I’ve lost three and won just one. So, I’m not happy with my performance. For me, it’s important that the guys should improve. When I came here, I observed that the boys lost the ball. I’m happy with the way we’ve started training now. I hope we get a good result for our supporters."

He also spoke about the new signings and shared their importance.

“We now have two more additional players who’ll help us in the defensive phase. I hope these new signings adapt well to our style. We were missing these type of players."

Signing of Hira Mondal

The Highlanders have completed the signing of left-back Hira Mondal, who was a part of Bengaluru FC at the start of the season. The head coach spoke about his signing and said, “It will be great for him to start and get revenge from them. They gave away this players, so it’s important for him to show them.” 

Team News

The Italian tactician shared an update on his team and said that by next week he will have a fully fit squad.

“I think by next week we will have all the players with us,” he signed off.

Gaurav Bora’s comments

Last game against Bengaluru FC

The last time NorthEast United played against the Blues, they had a legal goal disallowed by the referee. When asked if there’s an added motivation in the team to get revenge for what happened in Bengaluru, Gaurav Bora said, “It’s not only about wanting revenge. We play for three points in all the games. Obviously, we could’ve got a few points in that game, but it’s past now. Let’s hope we get the three points in the next game.”