Manolo Marquez confident of three points, Juan Ferrando wants efficiency

The Nizams are the top while the Mariners are on seventh in the standings.

Hyderabad FC will look to further consolidate their place at the top and also extend their four-match unbeaten run when they play ATK Mohun Bagan at the Athletic Stadium on Tuesday. Manolo Marquez's side are currently three points clear at the top of the Indian Super League 2021-22 points table. Kerala Blasters, at second, though have played two games fewer for 23 points. Juan Ferrando's side are also on a long unbeaten run but find themselves outside the top four.

ATK Mohun Bagan have not lost since December 6 when they were beaten by Jamshedpur. The Mariners are unbeaten in their last eight matches, but have won only three of those. ATKMB are currently at seventh with 20 points from 12 games. A win on Tuesday can take them as high as second depending on the number of goals they score or concede. But it won't be an easy task against the league leaders.

Ahead of the crucial match, coaches Manolo Marquez and Juan Ferrando spoke to the media at the pre-match press conference and here's what they said:

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Hyderabad FC coach Manolo Marquez

If the young players like Akash Mishra, Asish Rai and Aniket Jadhav are improving tactically.

Manolo Marquez: I think there are good young players in all the teams. For example, Vikram Pratap Singh decided the game for Mumbai City FC. We have good young players too. Our full-backs are both one of the best in their positions, if not the best. With this new rule of four foreigners, the young players have more time to play.

How do you keep players grounded in times like these?

Manolo Marquez: We are fighting against teams like ATKMB, Mumbai City FC, Jamshedpur, Kerala and they have more budget, more fans than us. There are a lot of things, the tradition in these teams is very big. We have to play six games, our team is on top and we are fighting for the same things as the teams that are in seventh or eighth place. It will be difficult to qualify for the top four, but of course, we will try to be champions or be in the top four.

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Will there be added pressure considering past results while preparing for the forthcoming matches?

Manolo Marquez: We are on top. We won the last three games and we are in a good position to fight for the top four, even if we were not the favourites at the beginning of the season. We have good players, but now we have to be focused on the match against ATKMB. It is important to win this game, get a good result. We will continue to focus on all the possibilities because there are a lot of games left between the teams fighting for these positions.”

ATK Mohun Bagan coach Juan Ferrando

How do you plan on tackling a dominating side like HFC right now?

Juan Ferrando: Of course, we have a plan, but our style is to try to keep the ball, find the spaces and we try to attack in the open spaces. I hope we have chances to win the game. I’m happy because in the last games against Odisha, East Bengal, Mumbai, we had chances. But, for me, the most important thing is that these chances are now converted to goals. That’s how we can gain success.

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How do you plan on stopping the in-form Ogbeche?

Juan Ferrando: I think it’s not necessary to put all the focus on Ogbeche. But, Hyderabad’s entire lineup and substitutions are filled with good players. Ogbeche is the star of the team, but I think those behind him, like the job of Joao, the job of Edu, the wingers are important. There are a lot of players behind him to give him chances and we need to be wary of that.

Do you think there’s hope for ATKMB to finish as the league winners?

Juan Ferrando: That is our target. Of course, don’t forget that our target is to get three points every game. At this moment, my dream is to be at the top of the table. But, our thinking right now is to defeat Hyderabad and then NorthEast on Saturday. Because if we go like this, we’ll be on the top of the table. If we’re thinking that we want to be at the top, but don’t do our jobs every day, then it’s difficult. It’s important to think about the present and not the future and take things one step at a time.

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