Antonio Habas: The best of ATK Mohun Bagan will come in January

The Mariners' head coach spoke ahead of their clash against FC Goa on Wednesday.

After being winless in their last two fixtures, ATK Mohun Bagan will be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on FC Goa in the Indian Super League. Antonio Habas and Co started with three consecutive wins and kept it compact at the back with three clean sheets. However, the loss against Jamshedpur FC was the first time they conceded this season. In the following match, they missed their pillar in defence, Tiri and could only manage a stalemate against Hyderabad FC. 

Tiri's return

When asked about the Spanish defender's availability, Antonio Habas was confident that Tiri is set to return against FC Goa. "Yes, he has a possibility to play as he is recovering. He has a similar possibility of playing in the starting XI as any other of his teammates."

Lack of goalscorers

ATK Mohun Bagan have only scored six goals in five matches this season and four of those have come from Roy Krishna while Manvir Singh has scored twice. There are players like Edu Garcia, Javi Hernandez, Bradden Inman and David Williams who can find the back of the net consistently but have not yet fired. 

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"The problem is not with 2-3 players, the problem is the condition and the players are coming after eight months without a proper competition. So, we have to adapt to the players as after so long without competition the players can have problems, injuries and muscular issues. We are now in the process of trying to recover and provide them with the best conditions until now."

Glan Martins' quality

New signing Glan Martins who joined the club in the summer from Churchill Brothers has impressed the Spanish tactician. Hence, he started in the last couple of games in the heart of midfield. Speaking about the 27-year-old’s performance so far, Antonio Habas opined, "He is improving everyday. He has adapted to the necessity of the club and is showing progress."

Loss of focus and injuries

When questioned whether the team has lost focus after the first three wins, Antonio Habas was quick to highlight the situation of his players. The Spaniard assured that in January, the Mariners will be seen in their best shape as the players will get adequate time to recover from injuries.

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"I think the best of ATK Mohun Bagan will come in January, because until now we have a lot of problems with injuries mainly with foreign players. One day one of them is injured another day another one. So, we don't have the full squad all the time. I think that from January, we can have the players in their best condition."

FC Goa's attacking threat

"I don't think I should talk about any particular player from the opponent. I think in the global quality of the team. Goa have a lot of good players and are a good team and I think the same about ATK Mohun Bagan as well," the tactician added when questioned about the quality of the trio of Edu Bedia, Brandon Fernandes and Igor Angulo.

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While FC Goa have appointed Juan Ferrando as their new head coach in the summer, the Gaurs have kept their style of play intact. They like to pass the ball around and dictate play by keeping possession. When quizzed about his ideas to counter this play from Goa, Antonio Habas came up with a cheeky response. He said, "The matches are won with the scoring of the goals and not with possession."

Rise in standards of ISL

Lastly, the Spaniard believes that the ISL has improved from last season and players have improved their levels, both Indian and foreigners and hence the results have been very tight. "The teams have had the possibility to bring in better reinforcements. The Indian players have increased their level and so have the foreigners. This is the solution and all the teams are more equal and that is why it is complicated to win matches with higher margins," Antonio Habas concluded. 

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