"It's very good for Indian football to have players like Madih Talal" - Punjab FC head coach Staikos Vergetis

Punjab FC head coach Staikos Vergetis has heaped praise on attacking midfielder Madih Talal's credentials and the impact he might have on attracting other young players to India.

Speaking in the post-match press conference after his side's 2-0 away victory over the bottom-placed Hyderabad FC on Tuesday, February 27, the 47-year-old said (via ISL):

"(Madih) Talal is a high-quality player. It is very good for Indian football to have players like Talal, as they encourage other players to come to India at younger ages."

Revealing the reason behind Punjab FC switching to a new formation, the Greek tactician, who spoke highly about the 26-year-old French playmaker's skills, said:

"When he (Talal) receives the ball in the opposition half, he can hurt the opposition with his passing, dribbling, or shooting. One of the reasons we switched to this formation is to give him more liberty and freedom and take advantage of his quality."

Madih Talal who has so far featured in all 16 ISL matches Punjab FC has played this season, was involved in both goals against the Nizams on Tuesday. He took his tally to three goals in addition to five assists apart from being the player who has created the most chances (36) this season.

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"Hyderabad FC had a very good defensive organization" - Staikos Vergetis

Punjab FC began the second half of the season with victories over Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters FC before suffering a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Jamshedpur FC at home prior to their clash against Hyderabad FC.

About the much-needed victory, the crucial three points, and a clean sheet at the G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium, an elated Staikos Vergetis said:

"The most important thing for us today was to secure the three points, and we succeeded in taking the three points. After some games, we kept a clean sheet, which is also very important. It was one of our objectives for today (getting the clean sheet). However, our performance was not better than what we displayed in the last couple of games, and this is because Hyderabad FC had a very good defensive organization."

Crediting his midfield trio of Nikhil Prabhu, Ricky Sabong, and Sahil Tavora, with Madih Talal playing in a more advanced role alongside Wilmar Gil and Luka Majcen, Vergetis added:

"They’re very good with the ball, and they covered a lot of ground. We made a sacrifice by reducing our midfielder to play with two strikers. This is one system that has provided us with more offensive opportunities, but defensively, it has also cost us many times."

With 17 points from 16 matches, the latest ISL entrants are currently placed tenth in the 2023-24 ISL points table, trailing Jamshedpur FC, who are at the sixth spot, by three points. With the playoff race heating up, Punjab FC needs to extend its winning run in the remaining six matches to have any chance of finishing in the top six.