"Doesn't matter if we qualified" - Ivan Vukomanovic wants Kerala Blasters to fight for top four despite securing ISL 2022-23 playoff spot
Kerala Blasters will face ATK Mohun Bagan at the Salt Lake Stadium in their 19th ISL 2022-23 match of the season on Saturday, February 18.
Blasters currently sit third in the ISL table with 31 points to their name, having won 10 and drawn one of their 18 matches so far. Chennaiyin FC's victory over FC Goa on Thursday (February 16) notably saw them secure a playoff spot.
Speaking ahead of his team's trip to Kolkata, Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic expressed his delight at the feat. However, he insisted that the Kochi outfit cannot rest on their laurels as they have two more league games remaining.
He said:
"We [Kerala Blasters] must admit that it feels good. We are used to the pressure. I think last year as well we qualified in the last game or one game before the end. Again, we are used to that kind of situation [of fighting till the end].
"We knew that this season as well, nobody will offer us anything. We have to fight for it, we have to fight for the points, fight for victories. The circumstances yesterday allowed us to qualify for the playoffs, but we still have two more games."
Despite securing a playoff spot, Vukomanovic wants Kerala Blasters to end their league campaign in a strong fashion. He stated:
"We want to be strong, we want to play good games, to show ourselves that we are capable of being even stronger. It doesn't matter if we qualified yesterday with the other result.
"We want to be strong in the remaining two games, to play one more away game tomorrow here, and especially the home game in front of our fans because they deserve to see us being strong."
Beating ATK Mohun Bagan in Kolkata, though, will certainly not be an easy task for Kerala Blasters, who will be without star player Adrian Luna. The Uruguayan is suspended for the game after picking up four yellow cards.
However, Vukomanovic believes he has enough quality at his disposal to cope without Luna. He explained:
"You know when you start the season that all the players are at risk of being suspended due to yellow cards. Even last season, I think we were missing Luna for two or three games maybe. So it happens, it's football.
"We always have players on the side, we have enough players with quality who can jump in. So, there is no problem. We have several options that we can explore... whether we add an extra midfielder or an extra striker. Today, we have one more training [session] this afternoon, we'll see the solutions."
The Serbian tactician, though, admitted that he might be forced to make a few changes to his starting line-up due to fatigue. He said:
"There might be [a few changes]. Today, we'll have a training session. Because of the accumulation in the previous period, there might be a couple of knocks. We'll see in today's training session. There might be some changes, but we still haven't decided yet.
"Everybody is available, everybody is here. Leskovic has arrived with us, so he is with the team. He has been training in the previous period, he's ready for the game as well."
Meanwhile, Kerala Blasters have received a major boost as Marko Leskovic has regained his fitness. Asked if the Croatian is ready to play on Saturday, Vukomanovic replied:
"Yes, he's ready. He has arrived in Kolkata, he is with us. He trained in the previous period. Even in the previous games, he was ready, but we didn't want to take that risk, to maybe throw him in too early to make it worse. Now, he is ready for the game. We'll see today in training and tomorrow if he is going to start or not."
Kerala Blasters succumbed to a 5-2 defeat to ATK Mohun Bagan at home in the ISL earlier in the season. Asked how different Saturday's match will be, the Yellow Army boss said:
"We're the same team. Maybe it will not be the same line-ups because some players are missing on both sides. It is a different dynamic now. [It's the] end of the season, back then, it was the beginning of the season, it was completely different.
"Now, there is an accumulation of fatigue and different kinds of things. We might see a different kind of game, but, again, both [with] teams wanting to win, fighting for every duel, every ball. I expect nothing but that."
Vukomanovic was also asked if playing against a top-four rival adds more pressure to the team, to which the Kerala Blasters coach responded:
"No, it's a pleasure. When you're still in the game, fighting for the top, it's always a pleasure. It would be pressure or disappointment if we're in the bottom [part] of the table. You must always enjoy these kinds of games and see players with a smile playing this kind of game because it makes them better."
Vukomanovic went on to address the threats posed by Juan Ferrando's side, admitting that the Mariners are one of the best teams in the league. He said:
"Everyone [is a threat] because ATK Mohun Bagan are one of the best teams in the league with so many national team players, with so many quality foreigners. From the goalkeeper to the last many in ATK Mohun Bagan, I think they are a top team.
"They deserve to be in the top [part] of the table. They can harm you from any position - central defenders, full-backs, midfielders, strikers - they have quality in every department."
He added:
"This quality has always been there. Every season, you know that ATK Mohun Bagan are a quality side, so we must be aware from every position."
Vukomanovic stressed the need for Kerala Blasters to earn as many points as possible from their remaining two games to possibly finish in the top four. He opined:
"It's completely the same mindset because, as a team from the top, you want to fight for the top, you want to fight for good positions in the playoffs. We know that we cannot be second, so now it's about the fight to get into a better position in the knockout stage and later in the playoffs.
"For us, it is also an important game. As I said, we don't mind being qualified yesterday, but we cannot care about it because we have two games, we have to be strong, and we have to win points in order to get that quality position. So, we hope to play a very good game tomorrow with quality, with power. We'll see. Let's hope for the best."
'Doesn't matter whether you play home or away' - Kerala Blasters boss Ivan Vukomanovic
Kerala Blasters have struggled with their form in away matches this season, losing each of their last four trips. Asked if it was important for the team to get a home game in the playoffs, Ivan Vukomanovic replied:
"It could be, but later when you start the playoffs, it is a completely different competition, a completely different approach. We [Kerala Blasters] saw in yesterday's game and throughout the whole season that anybody can beat anybody and that this league is unpredictable."
"I think that later on, it doesn't matter whether you play at home or away, anybody can beat anybody if you're relaxed for a moment. Later on, playing or away, you must be 100% ready for that game because it's about one game, it's about 90 or 95 minutes."
The Kerala Blasters coach added:
"Again, we want to play the remaining two games strongly and with power to secure maybe these spots because if we look statistically we have collected more points in home games than away.
"We have that home advantage thanks to our fans, that's for sure, but you never know. So, again, we must play really strongly in the remaining two games, hoping for the best and then seeing later how we approach [the playoffs]."
Kerala Blasters go into the match on the back of a defeat to Bengaluru FC, while ATK Mohun Bagan are winless in three games.