Analysing Kerala Blasters' season so far
The Kerala Blasters put in a late charge last season to qualify for the semifinals and looks like they might have to repeat that this time around as well. After the opening day victory over the North East United and the home draw against Mumbai City, things haven’t really worked out for the men in yellow.
Prior to the victory against Chennai, the men from Kochi had lost four out of their last five games with defeats against Atletico de Kolkata, Pune City, Delhi Dynamos and FC Goa.
So what has gone wrong?
Apart from Pulga, the Blasters did not retain any foreigner from last season. It has taken time for the new signings to settle in. The likes of Sanchez Watt and Chris Dagnall weren’t at their best from the start and have only recently shown signs of finding their rhythm. With new signings slowly and gradually settling in, the initial defeats affected the morale of the side.
There can be no denying that the Blasters’ transfer activity in the summer hadn’t been up to the mark as far as foreigners were concerned. The release of Iain Hume and defender Stephen Pearson were big blunders on the part of the management.
Hume was effectively the side’s best player last season and guided the team to the finals. Pearson was solid at the back and will be remembered by Kerala fans for scoring the goal that took them to the summit clash.
Considering that the side struggled in front of goal last season, it was expected that the management would bring in a marquee man up front. But the men in charge had other ideas.
Spanish defender Carlos Marchena was roped in as the marquee player and unfortunately for the team and their fans, he left the club due to a personal issue after having played just a single game.
Up front, Dagnall and Watt have been major disappointments. Watt is a young and talented footballer but his lack of experience has been a problem. Dagnall on the other hand, has at times been really poor with his finishing. His technique has let him and his team down on a number of occasions.
Apart from all this, Kerala have always struggled on their travels. Last season, they won just one game away from home and this season they have already lost three on opposition soil. The sad part here is that the side play three of their next four games away from home.
Also, the policy of playing three men at the back has definitely backfired. Ex-manager Peter Taylor played three defenders at the back and that led to four consecutive defeats and the end of his tenure as manager of the Sachin Tendulkar-owned side. Since his departure, first Trevor Morgan and then Terry Phelan have stuck to playing four men at the back and the results have been positive.
The silver lining
Even amidst the poor performances and the results, there have been a few positives for the Kerala Blasters. The recruitment of the Indian players has been top notch. Former ATK man Md.Rafi has scored four goals for the club and East Bengal defender Rahul Bheke has been the revealation of the season.
Bheke was brought in at the last minute and along with his East Bengal teammates, Mehtab Hussain and Saumik Dey, has been a consistent performer for his team while Bengaluru FC man CK Vineeth has been decent down the left. Last season’s star, Sandhesh Jhingan though, has been shaky at times and needs to step it up defensively.
And it is not just the starting eleven, Phelan has some good Indian players on the bench as well. Cavin Lobo and Ishfaq Ahmed are good examples who have done well. Foreigners Josu, Joao Coimbra, Peter Ramage and Stephen Bywater have been putting in consistent performances, with Bywater the most consistent.
Josu has looked quite good amongst the foreigners and many believe will fill the void left by the departure of Iain Hume.
Can Kerala qualify?
Since the departure of Peter Taylor, the side has upped its game and the credit should go specifically to former East Bengal manager Trevor Morgan. He has galvanized the side and that was seen in the 1-1 draw against Chennai and the 2-0 win over Pune City. Terry Phelan’s arrival has also had a positive impact. So the question is, can the side from Kochi make it to the semis?
They are currently eighth in the table with eight points from as many games. But, the key factor is that they are just three points away from the top 4. Standing where they are right now and looking at the games coming ahead, their chances though, look bleak.
However, the Blasters are no strangers to this situation. Last season they picked 10 points from the last five games to qualify for the semi-finals and then made it tod the final. A similar fightback is needed if the side are to do something similar this time and it must begin with the game against the reigning champions.