FC Goa played first half like it was summer camp, its unacceptable: Manolo Marquez

Panaji: Coach Manolo Marquez has warned his players that they cannot turn up for a competitive match and assume the result will go their way, just because “we are FC Goa.”

Goa have trained the most this season. It all started in July when the team started preparations for the AFC Champions League Two playoff, a game they won at home to qualify for the group stage of Asian football’s second-tier club competition. At a time when most players were left to wonder about the future, Goa played Asian football and later won the Super Cup.

For the ISL, though, Manolo has just two foreign players, significantly reducing the team’s strength. But while the team appeared competitive in the first four matches, unbeaten Goa seemed out of depth against hosts Punjab FC. The former champions were lucky to escape with a draw after the home side took the lead in the first half but were reduced to ten men early in the second with goalscorer Nsungusi Effiong being sent off for a retaliatory headbutt on defender Pol Moreno.

“In modern football, you cannot win only with your name,” Manolo told reporters after the 1-1 draw at the Nehru Stadium, Delhi, on Monday. “We cannot play like what we did in the first half. I told the players in the dressing room: ‘I don’t know if we are playing a football league, (top tier) ISL, or we are at a summer camp. Our first half is unacceptable. Because I am the coach, the maximum responsibility for this performance lies with me.”

Punjab outplayed Goa in the first half, and despite the opponents being reduced to ten men early in the second, there was hardly any thrust. Manolo’s side had two good chances – Dejan Drazic and Mohammad Yasir going close with close range headers – but for a side that has recently contributed six players to the national team, and two quality foreigners, there should have been more.

“Punjab deserved three points (for their first half performance). We were lucky with the red card, which was fair. I am very disappointed with our performance. Punjab were much better than us. They wanted to score, won all the second actions, and were hungrier. I don’t know if the result is fair, but, obviously, the red card changed the game completely,” said Manolo.

Goa have scored five goals in five matches, four of them by Serbian winger Drazic. Moreno, another foreigner, has scored the other goal as Indian players draw a blank. The likes of Brison Fernandes, Udanta Singh, Boris Singh, Raynier Fernandes, Ishan Pandita, Muhammed Nemil and Ayush Chhetri have all come close but lacked the final touch.

“We scored five goals and everyone knows who scored for us in the competition,” said Manolo. “You need a better mentality (to score). Brison was very good last season. He’s someone with very good mentality. He had chances but he hasn’t scored largely because of bad luck. If he had scored three goals by now, for me it would be normal.

“There are some players who, when they are in front of goalkeeper, they wonder whether they’ll score or not. I always say that the money is in the box. If you are unable to remain calm in front of the goalkeeper, it’s better if you play defender. If you are an attacker, and in front of goal, you should at least have the intention to score.

“In India, you cannot always have 0-0, 1-1 (scores). When you play a good game, you need to win 4-0. For example, today, when you had a disastrous first half, the opponents get a red card in the second and we equalise immediately. If you are calm and confident, this is a game you should win. We didn’t create enough chances.”