Errors leading to goals: Kerala Blasters twice as bad as any ISL side

Kerala Blasters Head Coach Mikael Stahre is so optimistic that he prefers to overlook the recurring blunders committed by his defence.

Until the end of November, the Blasters conceded twice as many goals from defensive mistakes as any other Indian Super League (ISL) side. In their first 10 matches, the Blasters let in six goals from defensive mistakes. Jamshedpur, Bengaluru FC, and Hyderabad were second on the list, with three errors leading to goals.

The Blasters could be worse if you consider the goalkeeping blunders leading to goals. Sachin Suresh's poor handling skills led to the Blasters' 1-0 home defeat to FC Goa on November 28.

The young Thrissur goalkeeper also made serious goalkeeping blunders in matches against NorthEast United and Odisha FC earlier in the season, while the second-choice Som Kumar's mistakes stood out in the 3-1 home defeat to Bengaluru. "Sometimes goalkeepers make mistakes like all players," said Stahre on Thursday.

The Swede was reacting to questions on his side's defensive shortcomings on the eve of the Blasters' 11th-round match against Bengaluru FC in Bengaluru. "We have conceded chances, but less than normal," Stahre said. "From a technical perspective, we are on track; we just have to defend stronger together... we are playing way better than the results."

'Don't commit individual mistakes'
While Stahre continuously sidestepped queries on the poor showing of his backline, ace forward Noah Sadaoui was more specific. "I feel individual mistakes have been the biggest issue," Sadaoui said at the pre-match press conference in Kochi. "You could play really well and then lose the game; it is a process," the Moroccan reminded.

Sadaoui is confident that his side has the potential to bounce back and has urged the fans to be patient. "I think we are going in the right direction. It may not look like it, but we surely deserve more points than we already have. We will go into the next game to be positive and not commit individual errors," he said.