"Durand Cup has come too soon for us"- Hyderabad FC first-team coach Conor Nestor rues lack of preparation time ahead of the season-opening tournament
Hyderabad FC's new first-team coach Conor Nestor has stated that the Durand Cup has come a bit too soon for his side as they hardly had any time to prepare.
Reasons behind the later-than-usual preparations are unclear, although sources close to the development tell Sportskeeda that certain matters off the field forced the club's hand in this.
Hyderabad FC, who will face Delhi FC in their first game in the Durand Cup on Sunday (August 6), started their preseason training inexplicably just a week earlier. A lack of cohesion within the side might be due to the limited time the players got with each other before the season began.
Nestor, who joined the club earlier this summer, stated in an interview with Sportstar that the tournament comes a bit too soon for his side. He said:
“The Durand Cup has come a bit too soon for us. We just had four training sessions and will probably get four more squeezed in. This is not probably what the supporters want to hear and certainly not in my nature generally to use a competitive competition as a warm-up but it’s unavoidable."
He added:
"For now, the Durand is going to be a process of analyzing performances, for physical preparation so that we are close to the peak as possible when the ISL starts in September.”
"The club was honest with me during the recruitment process" - Conor Nestor
The Irishman, who arrived at the club after former manager Manolo Marquez departed at the end of last season, was frank in admitting that the management was honest and open with him during the recruitment process.
Nestor knew that Hyderabad's basic credo lies in developing young players, which is what drew him to the Maidaan. He said:
“To be fair, during the recruitment process for bringing me here, the club was very honest and open. They told me which players would be going out and other internal matters and I came in with my eyes wide open in terms of the project. I knew there would be sort of a big rebuild in terms of recruiting new players."
Having made new signings in Jonathan Moya, Joe Knowles, Petteri Pennanen, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, Makan Chote and Aaryan Saroha, Nestor is happy with his squad. However, he is aware that Hyderabad have also lost the bulk of the team that won the ISL in the 2021-22 campaign. He explained:
“Obviously, there are seven to eight players who were part of that history (ISL winning team) but have gone elsewhere and we have brought in new players. So, it’s very much a new chapter in a new direction. No coach wants to see massive changes and ideally, the changes won’t be as dramatic as they are."
Hyderabad FC supporters will also be pleased with the fact that the new first-team coach believes in the club's philosophy and is here to stay. He concluded:
“The club sold the project very well and it’s very much aligned to my DNA as a coach, which is about developing young players and building the whole club, and most importantly trying to win also.
"My role is to try and build a style of play in the club that we can continue year after year. That’s important because when it comes to football, I believe in building something that’s going to last long after you are gone.”