PANAJI
With the debacle of the last season behind them, a refreshing outlook to the current squad with a new Head Coach and support staff and a pre-season that exuded a lot of promise, FC Goa look a team upbeat and their fans more so awaiting with bated breath for their ISL-4 campaign to commence.
Ahead of their first game to be played against a formidable Chennaiyin FC unit in Chennai on November 19, the Gaurs' Spanish gaffer, Sergio Lobera Rodriguez had a free-wheeling interaction with The Goan, at a city hotel on Wednesday. Excerpts from the interview:
Q: How would you look at your squad few days ahead of the start of their ISL campaign?
Sergio: We are looking forward to it with a lot of excitement. Till this point in time, we were working on the pre-season which has gone well. It is the most difficult part where footballers don't enjoy but it is necessary as football is ultimately about getting to compete and play matches. But now we are looking at the League. We are all very excited to the prospect of getting the League started.
Q: It has come to notice that players in the friendlies in Goa did not play in their customary positions. Mandar Rao Dessai played on the right wing and Manuel Arana has played from the left flank to a central attacking role. What would you attribute the reason to?
Sergio: The players we did use are because we also knew they are capable of playing in those positions. Mandar (normally a left winger) for example played as left back and he had a very good game. He is probably one of the best players who ended up scoring two goals in that game. Pre-season is when you try and test out different combinations and permutations and this is the reason we were doing that. We also had few players missing on international duty. So we had to adjust based on what was available to us.
Q: What is the status on forward Adrián Colunga missing out on action?
Sergio: He is injured at the moment (calf niggle). He is working with the medical team to see when it is best possible for him to come back and join the first team.
Q: The team has adopted two different types of playing their games if the home friendlies are of any indication - from a compact game to playing wide and on the channels. Have you decided on the playing style or would prefer to stay flexible once the competition starts?
Sergio: The best teams are the ones that are adaptable to the circumstances provided to them. It is true we vary a little bit in the way we set ourselves out. That is because we need to adapt to the circumstances that are presented to us. The style of play will never change, but will remain the same.
Q: In the Gaurs' last friendly against Chennai City FC, the team took to the second half with six internationals. What prompted the move when the emphasis has been on giving Indian players more opportunities and the rule for ISL is to have a maximum five foreigners in the Starting XI?
Sergio: We should not read too much on this as this a pre-season game. The reason we played with six foreigners was because that is the way we wanted to start out. If you notice at the end of the match, we were playing with two foreigners. Pre-season is used when we test out different things. We should not take it as a yardstick to measure saying this how we play with six foreigners, etc. If I find the level of the Indians are very good so may be in one of the matches we may end up playing only four foreigners instead of five. So we do not decide based on that. It is only a testing period.
Q: You have tested a lot of players from the developmental squad with the first team. Which particular player stands out in your opinion?
Sergio: All the players that have come up, I am very happy with their level of their performances so far. The Club has been building up their structure not with just the first team but also the junior team as well. We would not look at them as individual performances but as a collective. Ultimately when they come up, they have to be prepared and ready to take part in the first team matches when required.
Q: How helpful has been the Indian Assistant Coach, Derrick Pereira in giving inputs from the developmental squad as also on the domestic talent within the first team?
Sergio: I am very happy with how the ‘B' team has been doing. I have also seen them play. So I know them personally as well. I have been to multiple training sessions of theirs. I do not just rely on information provided by others. Derrick though has been a great help to the Club and working with me as well. When we decided to pick players in the Draft we decided as a collective. All of us spoke and worked together and then came up with the choices that eventually came up. Clifford Miranda is also with the ‘B' team coaching and is doing a lot of good work out there. I would like to stress on the collective which is most important when working together.
Q: You have seen the Indian team take on Myanmar on Tuesday in Fatorda. Your thoughts on the national side...
Sergio: The game was a little difficult because India conceded within 20 seconds from the kick-off. To comeback from that is quite difficult. They did improve as the game went on to the point that they should have actually won the game. But these are also games where he (Stephen Constantine, India Team Coach) has to try and test different combinations and options because he has to prepare the team for the Asian Cup. But having said that the team should have won the game.
Q: The Indian team had players like Jeje Lalpekhlua (Chennaiyin FC), Sunil Chhetri (Bengaluru FC) which FC Goa will be up against shortly. What are your impressions on these players?
Sergio: This is a League where the teams matter and make the difference. While they are good players, we noticed that the Chennai side has five players in the national team. We do know Chennai has a good squad. But I do believe that it is the team which will win you matches not individual players. Individuals will not be able to win you games day in, day out. The team as a collective will make the difference. It is a League where small differences count. We have to make sure those are the things that we take the best benefit out of.
Q: What are your thoughts to the response of the fans at the friendlies played at home?
Sergio: I think for fans, the pre-season and competition are two different things just as it is for all of us. We treat the pre-season differently to the competition. For me, the fans will come once you give them something exciting to see and talk about. In my way of life, I believe that first you have to give before you ask something back. I believe the same rule applies in football as well. First, we have to give the fans something to be excited about, and then they will come themselves and support the team.
