"The tournament is coming a little too earlier than it should have" - Punjab FC head coach Staikos Vergetis on the Durand Cup

After months of grappling with the euphoria of securing promotion to the Indian Super League (ISL), Punjab FC have begun the 2023-24 season on a glum note. They are yet to win a game at the Durand Cup 2023, drawing and losing one apiece.

But even before the start of the tournament, the club's head coach Staikos Vergetis had underlined in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, dated August 6, that the opening tournament of the Indian footballing season was coming slightly earlier than it should have.

"I believe this tournament is coming a little too earlier than it should have. I would prefer it to come closer to the start of the ISL season," he said.

"So we could at least have five weeks to train with our players, and I just don't speak for Punjab FC but all the teams. But okay, this is the situation, and we have to adapt to it," the Greek tactician further explained.

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Punjab FC gaffer says focus during Durand Cup will be on "certain phenomenons" during the match

The Warriors started the Durand Cup with a 2-0 defeat against the high-flying Mohun Bagan SG outfit before being held to a disappointing 0-0 draw against Bangladesh Army FT.

In both matches, the primary concern was seemingly Punjab FC's inability to maintain composure in the final third.

But Vergetis had specified during the interview that although the club want to focus on the results, their first priority will be to focus on these weak links that emerge during the matches.

"This tournament will help us to observe certain phenomenons of our team - how our team reacts in specific matches. We obviously want to take some results, but also focus on what's going well and what's not. It gives us the opportunity to have some more competitive friendly games," he stated.

During the conversation, the 47-year-old also averred that the team's approach would be the same for every match.

"Our strategy is the same - we'll focus on every match in the tournament separately. We'll try to prepare our team to be competitive in these games. Finally, we'll see if we succeeded or not," Vergetis added.

However, Punjab FC's first two matches have shown that there are acres to cover going into their third clash of the Durand Cup.

With just a point from two matches, Punjab FC will need to secure a victory against East Bengal if they're to sneak into the knockout rounds.