Kolkata: Atletico de Kolkata coach Jose Molina feel Mumbai City FC’s marquee footballer Diego Forlan has passed his prime. Mixing taunt with his assumption, an over-confident Molina said,“He (Diego Forlan) is 37 years old. He has past his prime. But I feel since Mumbai is paying him so much money to play for them, he still must’ve left something in him,”
However Molina’s counterpart Alexandre Guimares differed in his opinion about the Uruguyan International.
Asked how he felt his marquee footballer has performed so far in the Indian Super League (ISL), Guimares said, “Of course. I am satisfied with his performance on pitch. He helped us secure some valuable points in the beginning of the Hero ISL.”
Atletico de Kolkata will face Mumbai City FC here at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium in Kolkata on Tuesday. Jose Molina’s men are comfortably poised at the second position in the 2016 edition of the Hero Indian Super League table and are yet to lose a match. Mumbai City FC – on the other hand – is in a spot of bother as Alexandre Guimaraes’ boys are not in an ideal form with an extremely important away fixture against the inaugural champions ahead of them.
Atletico de Kolkata Head Coach, Jose Molina seemed relaxed at the pre-match press conference a day before his side’s clash against Mumbai City FC. “Mumbai – ideally – isn’t in a good place coming into this particular fixture. We played against them a couple of weeks back and it was an extremely tough match for us. It really could’ve gone either way. But now that they have lost their momentum, I feel that this time – perhaps – we might be able to capitalize on our home advantage,” he told the press.
The Spanish coach insisted that he is extremely satisfied with the performance of his defensive players despite their one off-day against the Delhi Dynamos in the previous match. “I am extremely confident with the performance of my boys. The defense is not a concern. The chemistry of my team is improving day by day and that’s all that actually matters to me.”
“We have to defend together as a team. It’s not just about the four defenders on the pitch,” he added.
Molina’s counterpart, Alexandre Guimaraes feels that his side lost valuable three points against Atletico de Kolkata on their home turf because they were reduced to ten men halfway into match. “However, I feel that tomorrow’s match will be a better one for us than the first. Both the teams are in the top four and I feel that itself speaks volume the fixture that is going to take place tomorrow,” Guimaraes told the press.
Alexandre Guimaraes also feels that losing out Sunil Chhetri due to his Bengaluru FC assignment is a huge loss for his side. “Sunil Chhetri is an international footballer. He has a lot of experience and is extremely intimidating for the opposition side. Hence, the fact that we can’t avail his services due to his club assignment is a big loss for Mumbai City FC.”
ATK’s Spanish gaffer Molina hinted that Arnab Mondal might make a return into the First XI against MCFC whereas there is also a chance that his marquee player, Helder Postiga might make it to the bench. “I am very much open to the idea of playing more than 5 Indians if I feel that it is the strongest possible team that we can field on a given day,” Molina told the press.
Later, when asked whether he feels that he is a defensive coach or an attacking one, Molina replied, “I am simply a football coach, that’s all. Neither I am defensive nor attacking. You can’t separate defence from offence in football. There has to be a balance.”