Manolo Marquez praises team's character after ATKMB draw

The tactician spoke after earning a vital point which took his team to the top of the league standings.

Hyderabad FC have risen to the first position in the points table of the ongoing Indian Super League 2021-22 season. They have done so after a thrilling 2-2 draw with ATK Mohun Bagan at the PJN Stadium in Goa. An injury-time equalizer from Javier Siverio ensured that HFC’s unbeaten run stretches to eight games. Speaking to the media in the post-match press conference, Manolo Marquez expressed delight in reaching the top of the table. He also talked about the resilience of his players and discontentment upon conceding an early goal during the match. 

Here is what the boss had to say about the match during the post-match interaction with the media:

Importance of draw

The tactician understands the importance of earning the point through the draw that takes his side to the top of the league table. Talking about the result, he said, “It was very important because it is one point more, we are the first team (on the table).

"I know its only game No. 9, but its the first time in the history of this club that we are top of the table. I know there are a lot of teams fighting for the same position. We have to enjoy this situation because not every day you are on top of the table.”

Not happy with opening goal

David Williams scored the quickest goal in the history of the ISL by finding the back of the net within 12 seconds from kick-off. Talking about the early goal, Manolo Marquez said, “They played very well, their style of playing is very good. Of course, all the credit goes to ATK Mohun Bagan for the first goal, but it’s the same action they tried in the last game. We saw that match. If you are not focused from minute zero, you can concede a goal early. But, I am not happy with the first goal.

“It’s the style of this team but as a coach, you cannot concede a goal that early because that means your team is not in the game. The positive thing is we reacted twice and finally we equalized in injury-time. We are happy because we did not lose,” he further added in this context. 

Praise for Javier Siverio

The 24-year-old striker has largely appeared from the bench and made a huge impact again as a substitute against the Mariners. Speaking on the prospect of Siverio starting a game, the head coach said, “I know him since a long time ago. He was my player in the ‘B’ team of Las Palmas.

"This player will score goals till the day he dies. When he is 75, he will still score goals. He is a very good centre-forward, but in that position we have Bart (Ogbeche) with nine goals and Javi has scored three goals in fewer minutes. So, I know perfectly that if one day Bart is out, we have enough quality in Javi.” 

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