Odisha FC will be playing Punjab FC in their Indian Super League opener on Wednesday (October 14), and ahead of that, head coach TG Purushothaman reckons the team can’t have any excuses and will have to tackle adverse situations.

Odisha have had a radical change as numerous big names have left the club this season. The club has also roped in a few top names, and the Kalinga Warriors head coach reckons they will have to ‘adapt’.

We have to Adapt and we are Prepared: TG Purushothaman

“It is true that there is a lack of practice matches. But as professionals, you have to adapt. We are prepared for that. This is the first match, and there will be some issues. We have to recover from that. We are focusing on performance, and we have to take things in a positive way and perform well,” coach TG Purushothaman said.

“We have to adapt to the situation and make the best of everything available to us. Our focus is on bringing everything up to the required performance level and giving the boys the right environment to perform well. Creating a very positive atmosphere is extremely important because that will help the players perform, and when they perform, the results will follow.

I believe in that approach, and that is my only focus. I am not looking at what we have, what we did in the past, or what happened last year. Nothing from the past matters now. Everything is new, and we have to work towards achieving everything afresh,” added the Odisha FC head coach.

Odisha FC Team News

On the injury front, the OFC coach also confirmed only one availability, as Rahul KP remains sidelined and hasn’t travelled with the team for their first two matches, away against Punjab FC and Inter Kashi.

“Only Rahul KP is suffering from a minor injury. We expect him to recover quickly, but we have decided to rest him for these first two matches. The season is long, and we do not want to take any risks with his fitness. We are managing his situation accordingly,” the coach added.

Odisha FC Identity is to ‘Fight for Everything’

Despite a magnitude of changes, the message from the Odisha FC boss remains clear, which is to fight for all the titles and fight till the final whistle blows. The coach also stressed that selection will only be on the basis of their passion on the pitch, irrespective of the player’s status or name.

“We start from where we finished last year and our identity remains clear: fight for everything, fight for the badge, fight until the referee blows the final whistle, and give everything on the field. That is the identity we want to maintain, and we select our players accordingly. We have a good squad right now, with players who can compete for their positions, respect their responsibilities and respect their teammates. Everyone is doing well. Whoever performs well will be in the team, irrespective of whether they are foreign players, Indians, local players or development players. Everyone has to fight for their place, respect their teammates and give everything for Odisha FC,” he concluded.