Goa: Nicolas Anelka's Mumbai City FC was hammered 7-0 by FC Goa at The Fatorda stadium -- the biggest margin of loss in the Indian Super League's history.
Hat-tricks from Thongkhosiem Haokip and Dudu Omagbeni and a late strike from Reinaldo made sure that Mumbai kept their wretched record of not winning a single away game in both editions of the ISL.
Here's Anelka's full reaction to the loss:
Q: Nicolas, what went wrong?
Anelka: Everything. The first 30 minutes we played well and then we conceded a goal. Because we have no character in this team, we are not able to win games away.
Nicolas Anelka is a very unhappy man after a 7-0 loss in Goa. ISL
Every time we concede a goal, we put our heads down and we have no power to come back from 1-0 (down). After that we chase the game and it's always the same - too hard to come back. And we leave space and they have space to play and to score. Simple.
Q: How damaging is this for your qualification chances?
Anelka: Big. Big. We still have a chance because we have games to play but in our head it's going to be very hard now. It was very hard but with this kind of defeat, it's even harder. I don't know how the players will react. We'll see.
Q: Goa used the wings to attack and score, was it a case of your wingbacks going too forward and failing to track back?
Anelka: Everybody has to defend and attack and today I didn't see that. I don't want to take any names, I think all of us don't deserve to wear the Mumbai City shirt today. It's a big shame for us because this kind of defeat is not acceptable -- for me first because I want to win every game and I have never lost 7-0 in my life, this is the first time. Nobody is happy and it's going to be tough. Like I said I don't know how we will react and don't know the feeling of the players right now.
Tactically we have to be better. Every time we try to change the tactics, it's not working. I don't know if we are clever enough but I have to do with what I have in my squad. Also, a lot of injuries so... it's like that. This is football.
Q: You said tactically you'll look at things so if you could outline your plans.
Anelka: I can't change. I have a team to play one type of tactic and I have tried in Dubai and in pre-season games but it's not working. Today we tried it in the second half and we conceded five goals. There is only one tactic I can play and I will try my best with wingers but I don't have wingers, they are injured and I have to do my best with what I have.
Q: Was the absence of Sony Norde a factor today? Would his presence have made a difference for you today?
Anelka: No it's not about Sony. It's everyone, we were not good enough as a team today. I have 26 players and not one player. Last time you asked me whether it was because Sunil (Chhetri) was not there -- but he was there today and we lost 7-0.
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So it's about everybody who is not good enough. We should be ashamed to wear this shirt. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and know we were not good enough today. Maybe we will have a good reaction in the next game but today I'm not happy, nobody is happy.
Q: How tough does it get for you now, as player and manager?
Anelka: It's very tough. It was tough before and even more today. We know we had to win and we lost today. 1-0 or 7-0, it doesn't change anything for me, but still, we will have this defeat in our mind and it's very hard to accept because I hate to lose. 7-0 is something I will never forget.
Q: You spoke about your team's failings, but what did Goa do right?
Anelka: They played well but I think we let them play. Too much space -- I said at the beginning we need to be compact but I didn't see anything. We were not compact and let them play football. First 30 minutes we were good and as soon as we conceded, today and the day before and last year, it was the same. We are not good enough and not strong enough to be able to come back. I don't know if it's quality, I don't know if it's in the head, I don't know if it's experience -- but right now we are not good enough to be able to win games away. We had a chance to come back and be first (in the ISL table), and every time we have this chance we don't take it. So we are where we should be. We deserve 7-0 today because we are not good enough. If we don't qualify (for semis), it's because we are not good enough.
Football is not a surprise. If you play 14 games, and at the end you don't qualify, it's because you are not good enough. Simple.
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