FC Goa coach Manolo Marquez.
FC Goa are off to a good start this ISL season with 5 wins and 1 draw. Currently, the Gaurs are lying on top of the points table with 16 points. FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez who has won the ISL Trophy for Hyderabad FC in the 2021-22 season is quite confident that his team will put up a much better performance this time around. Manolo spoke to 'The Goan Everyday' for an exclusive interview.
Good start for FC Goa
"We are very happy with the players. The improvement of the team has been really good from the start of the season. It’s always good to start with 5 wins and 1 draw. But, it’s still early days. The points table is still alive. We need to keep the momentum going. We have to play 22 games in the league stage," Marquez said.
Eight different players scoring goals
"It’s a positive sign. It’s really good that different players have scored goals for FC Goa this ISL season. This is really good because someday, one player who has been a prolific goal scorer does not score then others will score. We will not have to depend only upon 1-2 players. I want not only the strikers but also centre-forward, midfielders to score goals for us," the gaffer said.
FC Goa’s defence
"We have conceded just 3 goals so far. We need to avoid conceding goals as much as possible. The football playing style of each team in the ISL is different. We need to play a more tactical game," Marquez said.
Composition of the side
Talking about the composition of his side, the FC Goa head coach said, "I am satisfied with the composition of the side. But, the most difficult thing for a coach is to be fair. There are some really good players who have been on the bench. But, when the team is winning, it is not easy to remove players or make any changes in the squad. After all, the success of a good season entirely depends upon the players, who are playing and also who are not playing."
Areas of concern
"Perfect team does not exist. We still need to improve upon in every aspect of the game like attack, defence, mid-field. We need to create more chances and score goals. Also, we need to give our opponents less chances to score," Marquez stated.
Teams to look out for this ISL season
"We are checking out each and every side in the ISL. There are 12 teams in the tournament including FC Goa. We are closely monitoring the performance of each side and also keeping a close watch on the points table as to which teams are doing well, which are not doing good," the Spaniard said.
Strategy for the rest of the tournament
"We will take match by match. I do want to make any predictions for the future. It’s still a long way to go in the tournament. There can be injuries to players. Also, in the past, we have seen that teams who have been winning consistently do not necessarily end up as table toppers; there is a dip in their form. We need to be strong and keep going and be injury-free. We are a fairly balanced and very competitive side," the Gaurs coach emphasised.
