ISL 2020-21: NorthEast United's Gerard Nus - Ready for Bengaluru FC's set-pieces

Gerard Nus wants NorthEast United to be a hard opponent for Bengaluru FC as the two sides kick-off Round 5 of the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) on Tuesday.

The Highlanders have started the season on a good note and are third on the table with eight points from four matches. Their unbeaten start will be put to the test against Bengaluru who are coming off a win against arch-rivals Chennaiyin. The Blues have developed a reputation as a physical side who capitalise on their set-pieces. 

"The principles of our style will not change because we believe in those (principles). Of course, we also take into consideration the opponent. It is well known that Bengaluru are really strong in set pieces. So we are going to be prepared in the best way possible," said Nus ahead of the game. 

"Any team has different ways of creating chances. We try in many ways to become dangerous for the opponent, whether it is counter-attack, [with] positional play or more direct, from set-pieces or other ways. We try to be unpredictable because then it's hard for the opponents to deal with us. So it's important to be good in all those areas," he added.

The 35-year-old admitted that he is concerned about his side's fitness as they are would have eight matches in one month by the time their clash against Odisha FC comes along on December 22. 

"I'm really concerned about the game tomorrow (Tuesday) because we didn't have a long time to prepare as we played two days ago, but it doesn't matter. That's the way it is and we are going to fight from the first minute till the last. I'm sure we are going to be ready for the challenge no matter what."

However, the NorthEast United gaffer praised individual performances from his players that help him rotate his first XI effectively.

"I don't think there is any team in the league that has more rotations than us. If you see in the previous game, we started with five different players than the previous one. That tells you that there is no side that gave more chances to more players like us. If we do that, it's because we have really good players," he continued.

"That's really a good position to be in. It shows that everyone wants to fight for a spot in the first 11 or even if it means getting into a game. You cannot always rely on the first 11 players. So it's good to be in that kind of position with players getting better every day."