Manolo Marquez: Rohit Danu is a player who has a great future

The Spaniard spoke ahead of his side's clash against Chennaiyin FC on Monday.

Hyderabad FC did not have the best of ends to 2020, as they suffered three defeats in a row. The wounded team will look to bounce back and make a strong statement in the New Year, when they take on Chennaiyin FC on Monday. Ahead of the opening game of the year, head coach Manolo Marquez interacted with the media on the build-up to the game.

Motivating the team

Suffering three defeats on the spin isn't an easy thing to digest for any team and Hyderabad FC will be keen to get back to winning ways. Most of the players in the setup are youngsters and motivating them to forget the past will be the key. Speaking of motivation, Manolo Marquez said his boys are ready for the challenge Chennaiyin will present. “The biggest challenge to motivate is by winning the next game. We are one team more in a very equal league and we have to try to win next Monday,” said the Spaniard.

Tactical changes

Hyderabad FC maintained a defensive attitude and this style of play worked well for the team when they had an unbeaten run for five games early on. But, with the same strategy the team suffered heavy losses in consecutive games. On being asked whether there might be some tactical changes Marquez came up with a positive answer. “We have to be ready to make tactical changes even during the game. We are working on different things about tactical changes and maybe against Chennaiyin we can see some changes,” said the coach, pointing to a possible change in gameplay from the Nizams.

Importance of Aridane Santana

Aridane Santana is Hyderabad’s top scorer this season and they will be backing him to deliver the winning punch against Chennaiyin. Manolo Marquez pointed out that his fellow countryman is a very important player for the team and is well-liked by his teammates. “He is a person who is very positive, all the players like his attitude,” the tactician stated. “When he failed to score a penalty against East Bengal, in the second half he scored two goals. He showed that in football you have to continue even after you fail because football is a game of mistakes,” he added.

Chennaiyin are good in set-pieces

Although just one point behind the opponents, the Hyderabad FC coach believes that they are a threatening team and tomorrow’s match will be a tough one for him. Speaking about the opposition, Marquez said, “Chennaiyin is a very dangerous team. They are dangerous in set-pieces, they have good players and tall players. I think their coach is also very brave. I think Chennayin and Hyderabad deserve more points than we have at the moment.” 

Team News

Speaking about player availability for the game, Manolo Marquez confirmed that barring Nikhil Poojary and Liston Colaco, all other players are ready for the game. “Nikhil is not ready to play, maybe he might arrive against NorthEast United. The problem with Liston is that he can play, but he is not at 100%.”

Given the fact that the duo are doubtful for tomorrow’s game, the ideal replacement that will come to people's minds would be the youngster Rohit Danu. On being asked whether we can see more of him in the next game due to other players’ absence, Marquez came up with an interesting answer. “Rohit is another player whom I like very much; he is a player who has a great future. 

“But, it's difficult for him. He trains very well. Players in attack, when they are young, need more friendly games to improve. He is very smart. I think he will be a great player in the future and I want him to play as soon as possible, but maybe not this moment, after three defeats," he concluded.

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