Not getting enough rest affected performance: Thangboi Singto

Thangboi Singto's Hyderabad FC nearly lost the game to Punjab FC.

Hyderabad FC avoided an embarrassing defeat at the hands of newly-promoted Punjab FC in the Indian Super League on Tuesday. The visitors secured a point after scoring an equaliser deep into injury time to dash the hosts’ hopes of winning their first game of the 2023-24 ISL season. 

Thangboi Singto, head coach of Hyderabad FC, spoke about almost winning three points during the post-match interaction. He also talked about a lack of quality in the final third and more as the Nizams’ search for the first win of the ISL 2023-24 term continued.

Here are the excerpts from the interaction:

Failed to give 100 per cent

Analysing his team’s performance, Thangboi Singto believes Hyderabad FC did not deliver to their potential amidst the scheduling troubles. “For us as a team, just playing two days back and the travel (schedule). Not getting enough rest affected the performance, I would say because there were few changes. But that can't be an excuse because when you go onto the pitch wearing the club badge, you have to be able to give your 100 per cent,” he said.

Need to be clinical

Hyderabad FC’s lack of cohesion in the final third was quite apparent and the head coach also spoke about it in the post-match press conference. He said, “We had more shots, more ball possession, more passes and more corners, but that doesn't really help if you don't score and win games. We still need to work as a team in the final third of the pitch, where we need more creativity, more finesse, and players to be clinical.”

“We need to keep working in the six-yard, 18-yard box where the players just have to finish the chances we're creating. That's an area of concern for us, but we need to keep working,” Thangboi Singto concluded.