Kerala Blasters' season has been marred by injuries and errors, according to assistant coach Ishfaq Ahmed.
The Blasters have come agonisingly close to picking up full points in the last couple of fixtures but have managed just a point in each of them. They have had four draws in their last five matches.
Even though their run of form has been very similar to that of last season, Ahmed suggested that the club has been playing a different brand of football this season.
“I think the previous season is completely different. The brand of football is very different. We have dominated matches but there have been errors. But that is due to a lack of concentration. Despite having a lot of injuries, our players have shown a lot of character. We have dominated teams like Bengaluru, Goa etc. We are working on the individual errors and hopefully, we can improve.”
ISL
Ahmed believes the team can still make it to the playoffs if they start getting wins from now on. He said, “Mathematically we can reach the play-offs. It is just a matter of a couple of wins in a row that will give you the rhythm.”
The former Jamshedpur FC assistant coach said that the Kerala players should not lack motivation while playing matches against rivals.
“I think the match itself is motivation. It has been the South derby and these are the matches that show how mature a player is. The players need to take it as a challenge. I don’t think they need motivation. These are the games you need to perform.”
When asked about the opposition Chennaiyin FC, Ahmed opined, “We have done our homework. They are a good team. Unfortunately, they have not got the desired results. The league is very tight and any team can go up with a couple of wins. They have been playing good football. They have a new manager as well.”
The assistant coach also gave an update regarding Sergio Cidoncha who was forced off the field injured in their last match. "We are still looking at him (Cidoncha). We need to take a call on him later. A few (injured) players are back."