ISL 2023-24: Lobera urges continued improvement despite Odisha FC's win over Hyderabad FC; WATCH highlights
By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Dec 18, 2023, 11:19 AM ISTOdisha FC's head coach, Sergio Lobera, reflects on his team's recent triumph over Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League (ISL).
Following Odisha FC's triumphant victory over Hyderabad FC, head coach Sergio Lobera expressed his satisfaction but emphasised the ongoing need for enhancement. The win, marked by goals from Roy Krishna and Mourtada Fall, propelled Odisha FC to the fourth position in the standings and secured a spot in the AFC Cup knockout stages. Lobera acknowledged the team's commendable effort but stressed the importance of self-critique, stating, "We need to continue growing because, it's not that everything is amazing." Despite the success, he pointed out the team's exhaustion, attributing it to their recent demanding fixtures and underscoring the significance of managing fatigue effectively. Lobera highlighted the necessity of scoring more goals to control the game and avoid late-game challenges. Expressing gratitude for the fans' unwavering support, he acknowledged the crowd's impact in crucial moments and hoped for continued encouragement in upcoming fixtures.
Goals from & powered the to a comfortable victory in ! 💥
Watch the full highlights here: https://t.co/7qg2UYJ3PB | pic.twitter.com/zYbnlf74Do
“It's important to be unbeaten during long periods. To get good results is our target. We are working for that. But also, it's very important to be critical with ourselves, and we need to improve. We need to continue improving. We need to continue growing because, it's not (that) everything (is) amazing,” stated Lobera in the post-match press conference.
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“I am very happy because it's a big effort from the players to achieve this,” he added.
He shared, “Obviously, as a coach, if you have the full squad, you have more options during the game. You can do substitutions in a specific position. For example, today, Roy, and in the second half, we have some players (who were) very tired now. And I think there are two things. We are tired because we are coming from a big game, in the last game in AFC Cup, and also we need to manage better the situation when we are tired. We need to keep possession of the ball. We need to kill the game. We have clear chances to score the third goal. And when you didn't do this, sometimes we can suffer in the last period of the game.”
“I think we need to improve scoring the chances we have and also managing better results. We are strong with the possession of the ball and we need to have the possession of the ball in the opposite half. And today during the second half we didn't do this.” said Lobera
“Today, during some periods in the second half, we needed power. And the power was coming from the stands. Today was amazing. I think I feel the fans give to us a lot of things in the moment we needed more. And I am very happy for them. And (I hope they) keep going,” Lobera concluded.
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