"SC East Bengal play with a lot of order" - Hyderabad FC head coach ahead of ISL clash

Manolo Marquez (R) and his assistant Benito Montalvo oversee Hyderbad FC's training (PC: Hyderabad FC)

Hyderabad FC will lock horns with SC East Bengal in Vasco on Monday. The Red & Gold Brigade bagged their first win of the ISL 2021-22 season in their last encounter against FC Goa.

However, the Nizams' head coach Manolo Marquez argued that while East Bengal might have come away with a win only in their last game, they have been a competitive ISL team throughout.

"Yes, it was their first win but even in the previous games, they lost in the last minutes against JFC and drew the two games before that. They are a competitive team. Now they have some new players, so let's see. The other day, both the East Bengal goals were assisted by FC Goa players, but they play with a lot of order," Marquez said.

Coming up 👉 Round 1⃣3⃣!

🆚 @sc_eastbengal
🗓️ 24th January
🏟️ Tilak Maidan
📍 Vasco, Goa
🕢 7:30pm IST

#SCEBHFC #ThisIsOurGame #మనహైదరాబాద్ #HyderabadFC https://t.co/2MScijV6gL

In their previous meeting, Hyderabad had to settle for a 1-1 draw against East Bengal. Although the Nizams dominated possession, they failed to find the killer blow. Marquez said:

"They scored first through a free-kick and we equalized very early. But in the second half, we played very badly. They played with a lot of order. They had practically all the players behind the ball. This is for me the most difficult situation in football. We didn't play a good game and we have to change some details this time."

The Spaniard was also asked if the match against 10th-placed East Bengal is an opportunity to seal a win and move further up in the top-4, to which he said:

"Of course, it's an opportunity. But it's not important who the opponent is. It's not like, 'Because it's against East Bengal, who are in the lower half, we have to win'. We have a game and if we win we'll be in the top-4 again."

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"This ISL is totally unpredictable" - Hyderabad FC boss

Hyderabad played their last game on January 13. Their encounter against Jamshedpur FC, scheduled for January 17, was postponed after players tested positive for COVID-19 in both camps. The Nizams have had to quarantine for long periods.

Mood when you know it's ᴍᴀᴛᴄʜᴅᴀʏ tomorrow... 😉

#SCEBHFC #ThisIsOurGame #మనహైదరాబాద్ #HyderabadFC https://t.co/CCgQ9RPFjG

In response to a query on whether Hyderabad will have an advantage given the added rest that their players have had due to the postponement, Marquez said:

"I don't agree that when the players are in their room all day, they are resting. Mentally it's very hard for all the teams. If you listen to the players in ISL, mentally it's very hard. The players like to have time to disconnect, go out, be together, train together, But if you're in your room all day, you've got too much time to use your head. That's not rest."

Speaking about the current situation in the ISL amid the COVID crisis, the 53-year-old said:

"This ISL is totally unpredictable. There are a lot of factors at play. It's impossible to tell which teams will be in the top-4, which team is the favorite to win the regular season or the playoffs."