Back-bencher Kerala Blasters faces a tough test against Jamshedpur FC at home on Friday to ressurect its stuttering campaign in the Hero ISL.
Winless after the season opener against ATK at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, Eelco Schattorie’s men have been hit by injuries and poor form to key players. The weakness which bothered the team last season has come back to haunt it in this season as well. Kerala Blasters has not been able to be preserve its leads and worryingly has been conceding late goals to its opponent. This streak has extended far too long for the liking of its fans and supporters.
“That (conceding late goals) has to do with the quality that you have in the team. Last week we had some mismatch during set-pieces. You have to find a solution, in this case, I tell my players to be a bit smarter, a bit meaner, to be street-smart,” added Schattorie. Kerala Blasters will be boosted by the return of midfielder Mario Arques from injury but it remains to been seen if Schattorie will risk playing him in the eleven.
Slight blip
Jamshedpur, placed fourth in the table, has been been hit by a slight blip in form which saw the side draw its last two games. Coach Antonio Iriondo said his team will look for three points against the tentative opponent. However, the absence of star striker Sergio Castel and midfielder Piti will effect the team’s plans.
Kerala Blasters will enter the pitch in a special green and white jersey — discarding the traditional yellow and blue outfit to commemorate Kerala Football Day — and hope for a turnaround in fortunes.
