Do-or-die battle for Kerala Blasters against Jamshedpur
When the two sides met earlier, Blasters had forced Jamshedpur to split points by bouncing back from a 2-goal deficit with late strikes.
When the two sides met earlier, Blasters had forced Jamshedpur to split points by bouncing back from a 2-goal deficit with late strikes.
When the two sides met earlier, Blasters had forced Jamshedpur to split points by bouncing back from a 2-goal deficit with late strikes.
Kochi: For Kerala Blasters FC, the numbers say it all. In the Indian Super League (ISL) standings, the Yellow Brigade are stuck in the seventh spot with one win, five draws and three losses. In search of their second win of the season, David James' boys will host Jamshedpur FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Tuesday.
When the two sides met earlier, Blasters had forced Jamshedpur to split points by bouncing back from a 2-goal deficit with late strikes. But things have changed a lot for both the sides since then.
Number game
Jamshedpur have won three and drew six matches while losing only one - a performance that helped them seal a place among the top four. Kerala, on the other hand, have suffered three losses, two of them at home.
However, both the teams are coming to Kochi after goalless draws - JFC were held by NorthEast United FC at home while Chennaiyin FC held Blasters in a match marred by poor finishing. Jamshedpur have only one more match left in the first half of the season, after Tuesday’s fixture, and they won't consider another draw as a good result with ATK and Mumbai City FC breathing down their neck. As for Blasters, they have two more matches left but it is highly unlikely that they will find a spot in the top four as first half of the season draws to a close.
James' woes
Blasters’ English boss, James, has been facing the flak from football pundits and fans alike for his game plans. The fans consider his experimentation with the playing XI as his inability to find the perfect mix and blames it as one of the reasons for team's dismal show.
Manjappada, the diehard fans of Blasters, even took to social media to issue an ultimatum to the team management. “Sort out the internal issues in the team and focus on performance,” they wrote on their Facebook page. The fans have warned to abandon home matches if the team continues its poor show. The headcount at Kochi, which holds the highest attendance record in most seasons (3) including the ongoing one, has already dwindled considerably.
Sandesh Jhingan and boys will have to put their act together and must do so fast.