The head coach of the Indian football team Manolo Marquez was left deeply frustrated by the performance of his party in their hopeless draw against Bangladesh in their qualifying AFC Asian Cup on the third round of March 25. While Marquez did not delay the absence of injuries, he did not apologize what he called “very, very, very bad performance”.
In what was a highly anticipated clash for blue tigers, Marquez’s Set-Piece Reliance Tactics Failed again when it mattered. When he spoke at a press conference after the match, he criticized the lack of preparation times for his players because of the ongoing Indian Super League season, but claimed that India was lucky to escape the draw.
“Very, very bad performance of the Indian team, especially in the first half. It was better in the second half, but not enough. We got one point, that’s the best thing … a lot of very important players, appetizers, not here. Everyone is injured. But that’s not an excuse,” Manolo said.
“When we started in Hyderabad against Mauritius (in the InterContinental Cup in September 2024) with one training, yet, before the match today, it was always better.
The match was considerable, especially with the midfielder Premier League Hamza Chowdhury – currently on a loan in Sheffield United from Leicester City – after switching loyalty from England he released his debut for Bangladesh. In addition, the return of Sunil CHHETRI joined the competitive international football after his retirement to retire from June 2024. However, neither player delivered impact fans.
Hamza was largely ineffective during the match, while CHETRI, despite several occasions, could not convert before it was replaced in the 85th minute.
One of the most glaring problems for Marquez India remains their center. While the lack of team goals in recent accessories was a problem, the real problem stems from the lack of structure in the middle of the field.
India’s initial XI lacked a clear offensive orchestra in the middle. In addition to Apuia, Marquez decided not to build another creative midfielder, although he had options like Macarton Nickson.
As a result, Indian attacks rely strongly on the hips, especially through the paper Colaco on the left. However, this approach has become predictable, which made it easier for opponents to neutralize.
Without a well -structured center of defense connection with the attack, India’s offensive game remains fragmented. The solution to this problem is essential if the Marquez side is to improve their threat to achieve the goal.
Published:
Debodinna Chakracorty
Published on:
March 26, 2025
