After kicking off their campaign on a positive note by winning their first two matches in the 10th edition of the Indian Super League, Kerala Blasters are seemingly beset by issues both on and off the field.
Some of their key players are either injured or are serving a suspension, and to make matters worse, Blasters have been plain unlucky on a couple of occasions.
However, the Yellow Brigade have only themselves to blame for playing out a 1-1 draw with NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) in front of the home crowd on Saturday. Of course, some of their attempts hit the woodwork and they were denied a clear penalty. It's part and parcel of football, and there is no justification for missing a flurry of chances.
Despite deploying four foreigners in attacking positions, Blasters could not put pressure on NEUFC's defence. Among the foreign recruits, only Adrian Luna could live up to expectations. The team management needs to initiate emergency measures to address this issue.
Blasters' backline appeared to be headless due to the absence of their foreign central backs (Marko Leskovic is injured while Milos Drincic is suspended). Fortunately, NEUFC could not exploit that chink in Blasters' armoury.
If I talk about the referees, I'd just be repeating myself! Poor decisions from match officials will have an adverse impact on the overall quality of the league. It is high time the authorities concerned found a permanent solution to the issue.
(The writer is a former captain of Indian football team)
