Find out what Derrick Pereira said about Manvir Singh & Liston Colaco

The tactician said that the club have a process in place to plan for next season.

FC Goa faced ATK Mohun Bagan in their fixture at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim this evening. The match ended in a 0-2 loss for the Gaurs, as Manvir Singh’s brace stole the show for the Mariners. The goals for the 26-year-old came in the 3rd and 46th minute. This marked FC Goa’s seventh defeat of this season. As a result, Derrick Pereira and his men see their position unchanged in the table.

Here's what FC Goa head coach Derrick Pereira had to say in the post-match press conference.

Reality check?

FC Goa won their previous match against Chennaiyin FC by a margin of 5-0. However, hardly any glimpses of the previous encounter were visible in their performance this evening.

When asked if this was a reality check after the previous victory, Pereira mentioned, “They are two different teams. We went in with a plan. We were settling down as a team. It’s not an excuse, but it’s a truth that we had cases (COVID) in our camp, where some players had to be left out.

"We could not train yesterday due to certain reasons. I think we missed out in the midfield. The early goal put us down. In the second half also, a misplaced pass resulted in a goal. I think that put lot of pressure on the team. We lost the ball in the midfield quite often and that has hampered our performance.”

Started thinking beyond this season?

In order to qualify for the playoffs, FC Goa will have to win all their remaining games. The task seems tough, as they will be facing the likes of Hyderabad FC, Mumbai City and Kerala Blasters in the upcoming fixtures. Even prior to this match, their chances of qualifying depended heavily on mathematical permutations and combinations. Usually, in such situations, teams start thinking about reinforcements for the upcoming season.

When quizzed if Pereira has started thinking beyond this season, he asserted, “It is a process in place. It’s always there. We still had slight hopes (for playoffs). We still want to do better – improve our standings in the table. For sure, we will work to see for the future.”

Feature the youngsters in the remaining games?

FC Goa have a bunch of young talents who have the potential to perform in the Indian Super League. With slim hopes of qualification, Derrick Pereira should perhaps look forward to giving some game-time to the youngsters in the squad.

When questioned about the same, Pereira stated, “Like I said, it’s a process. All deserving youngsters will definitely get (the chance). We need to give them the opportunity. But, we can’t just push them to the deep side of the pool. We have to get them gradually into the team. We have some talented boys in our team. When the appropriate time comes, we will be giving them playing time.”

On Manvir Singh & Liston Colaco

The two forwards of the ATK Mohun Bagan contingent combined brilliantly tonight. Manvir Singh went on to score a brace. Meanwhile, the two assists came from Liston Colaco. Notably, the two players were previously part of the FC Goa squad and gradually developed their game during their stay at the club.

Derrick Pereira was asked how proud he is of their performance. The tactician opined, “It’s always nice to see our players doing well, not only at the club level but also at the national level. We are proud of that. We will always be looking out for developing more and more players for the national team.”

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