Frustrated SC East Bengal coach says team lacking quality

Vasco (Goa), Dec 1 (IANS) Two losses and a draw in three Indian Super League (ISL) games have left SC East Bengal coach Manuel Diaz nonplussed and the former Spanish footballer said that he doesn't have "enough quality for playing these kinds of matches".

In another below-par performance from the Kolkata giants, SC East Bengal lost 4-6 to Odisha FC, adding to the team's woes so early in the tournament.

They started their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Jamshedpur FC before a 3-0 loss to last season's runners-up ATK Mohun Bagan deflated them.

"For the moment, it is what it is. We don't have enough quality for playing these kinds of matches mainly in the set pieces we are losing the positions. Our job is working out with the squad and fixing it. At the moment we don't have enough quality to play matches in the Indian Super League," said Diaz during the post-match press conference.

Delving into the loss against Odisha FC, Diaz said that the side lost its tempo after playing well for the first 30 minutes.

"In our first thirty minutes, we played well. In the three matches, it has been the worst performance of ours in the Indian Super League. In twelve minutes, we lost our attention and the opponent scored in set pieces," said Diaz.

He also added that defending the goalpost was a collective responsibility and not just the job of just the defenders.

"Defensive responsibilities are the whole squad, not only the line of defence. Our performance and the whole team is at par level because they have allowed scoring in simple situations and easily away."