ISL: Odisha look to start afresh under Baxter

When Odisha FC open their Indian Super League season 7 against Hyderabad FC at GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Monday, it’s not just a new season for the Bhubaneswar-based side but a new beginning for them, too. The club which shifted base from Delhi before the start of season 6 had a topsy-turvy campaign last year and they would look to start afresh in a pandemic-hit world.Finishing the league stage at No. 6 under Spanish coach Josep Gombau, Odisha would like to leave last year’s disappointment behind under new gaffer Stuart Baxter."We want points on the board of course. I am really looking for a good performance. I think the performance is what we should be looking at now and let that lead us to good results," Baxter said about their preparation ahead of the opening match at the pre-match press conference on Sunday.Asked about the significance of starting their sojourn against Hyderabad, a side whom they beat on both occasions last year, the British coach opined, “History doesn’t really help anybody. The Titanic (ship) sank and Liverpool won the league last season but none of it will help this year. We have got two games against them. They got new players, we have got new players. A lot of things changed, so we’ll approach this game based on not what could have been or what maybe.”Baxter has some interesting options in the attacking third including the mercurial striker Marcelinho and Diego Mauricio, both Brazilians. However, the 67-year-old is not one to over-rely on any particular player.Hyderabad, finishing at rock bottom last season, would be eager to also hit the restart button under their new coach Manuel Marquez Roca and avoid a repeat of last edition where they conceded 39 goals and won only two fixtures. The Spanish gaffer has a young squad at his disposal and it would be interesting to see how he uses his arsenal to maximum effect.Odisha captain Steven Taylor will have to take extra responsibility at central defence as they will be without the services of Australian defender Jacob Tratt apart from midfielder Jerry Mawihmingthanga in respect of the quarantine protocols. Roca, meanwhile, will miss his Spanish striker Francisco Sandaza for the clash.