They don’t have many key players, but the team is very competitive: Manolo Marquez on Kerala Blasters

Marquez feels that Adrian Luna is a complete player both on & off the pitch.

FC Goa will host table toppers Kerala Blasters in an epic match on super Sunday. It will be a top of the table clash as both sides find themselves in the top two of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 table so far. Kerala Blasters sit at the top while FC Goa sit at the second spot.

It is expected to be an entertaining and nail biting contest as just one point separates the two sides. Ahead of the match, FC Goa’s head coach Manolo Marquez and defender Seriton Fernandes addressed the media and shared their thoughts.

Thoughts on the last game

Manolo Marquez began by sharing his thoughts on FC Goa’s last game against Jamshedpur FC. He said, “It was not good, but we created a lot of clear chances. I felt from the bench that we didn’t have total control of the game even though they created less chances than us. We should’ve killed the game before.

He also mentioned that his players were clever and operated at correct positions. “But, at least the team was clever and they played in the correct positions. I liked the way Jamshedpur FC played. They played a good game, but they were not very good in the final third as their coach said,” he asserted.

Thoughts on Kerala Blasters

Sharing his thoughts on Kerala Blasters, Manolo said that they are a very different team when they play at home because of the atmosphere there.

“Maybe they are one of the teams that are more different when they play at home. Ivan and I have a very good relationship. These kinds of coaches and players from that part of the world are very competitive. They don’t have many key players, but the team is very competitive. 

He also added that Ivan Vukomanovic has the ability to convince the players and help them get the results.

“The coach is very important in this team because he has the capacity to manage and convince them. They have Adrian Luna who is very complete and he is also a leader both on and off the pitch. It will be a good game with the possibility for both teams to win,” he stated.

Seriton’s comments 

National team chances

The right back was asked about his chances of representing India at the upcoming AFC Asian Cup. He replied and said that if the call up comes he will be very happy because it is his dream.

“I always give my 100% whenever my team needs me. I am only focusing on the ISL games because we have to win the ISL shield and the ISL trophy because we need to win those. If the callup comes from the national team, I will be very happy and that is my dream,” he said.

Thoughts on his side’s defence

Sharing his thoughts on his side’s backline, Seriton said that the experience of Odei and Sandesh Jhingan has been very helpful for the team.

“Right now we are very compact. Odei (Onaindia) and Sandesh (Jhingan) give us a lot of boost because they are very experienced. Jay (Gupta) is also a very good player. We only do what the coach tells us. It’s not just us, but the strikers have also have to play their roles because the defence starts with them,” he signed off.

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