Carles Cuadrat says Bengaluru FC players are not complacent

The Blues' head coach also said that they are not over confident and are not taking any team lightly.

Bengaluru FC head coach Carles Cuadrat would have been a relieved man having notched up a convincing 4-2 win against Kerala Blasters, giving them some much needed momentum heading into a tricky clash against Odisha FC on Thursday. The match against the Blasters saw the Blues’ attacking department appearing to click into gear after a rusty first few matches. 

“All the players need some time to adjust, especially for foreigners to a new country and a new league. This is what we are seeing in these players,” pointed out Cuadrat. One of the key features of the last two games has been the introduction of Udanta Singh as an impact player in the second half, something that Carles Cuadrat had an answer for. 

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“Udanta is a very valuable player. He plays for the national team and he has good pace. it's important that we have these kinds of players to exploit the defensive line. It is important to have a balanced team. Cleiton (Silva)) playing on the right and Sunil (Chhetri) helping on the left is important for our balance. We have been using Udanta to take advantage of spaces when the game is open,” explained the Spaniard. 

The team is unbeaten in the league and the comprehensive win against the Blasters followed by Odisha, who are not in the best of form, poses the risk of complacency. However, Cuadrat quickly shot down any such notions. 

“I know my players and they are not complacent, there is no room for it. The team who does not get results in one moment can suddenly get one. We are conscious about it. They have been fighting for points which has not happened so far, but numbers are meant to be broken. They have a good coach and players. It will happen soon for them. We are not over-confident and will not take any team lightly. We know any team can beat anyone,” warned the 52-year old. 

Related: Bottom dwellers Odisha take on Bengaluru FC in ISL

The coach went on to praise Odisha’s mental fortitude, with them having come back from two goals down against Jamshedpur FC and made a point to highlight their strengths. 

“They have two powerful centre-halves with experience and strength. I especially like (Cole) Alexander, the South African player. He has a good background from international games in South Africa. We have been studying them and we want to avoid slipping up against them,” said Carles Cuadrat. 

Odisha FC are a team that have accumulated a few yellow cards and the Spanish coach expects a physical game. However, he pointed out that his team was more than capable of adapting to the situation. 

“It is an important part of the game, the physicality. We have physical players like Ashique (Kuruniyan), Juanan, Erik (Paartalu). We are also a team that does not commit fouls that much and play the game in the right way,” said the former Barcelona man. 

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