Kerala Blasters have made a quick turnaround in the Indian Super League (ISL) since the sacking of Head Coach Mikael Stahre in mid-December. Under interim head coach T G Purushothaman and assistant coach Tomasz Tchorz, the Blasters have accumulated the joint second-most number of points.

In the last five rounds, the Blasters have secured 10 points, the same as league leaders Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Jamshedpur FC. Only FC Goa, with 11 points from a possible 15, have fared better. After 17 rounds, the Blasters are on 21 points, three short of Mumbai City in the sixth playoff spot.

From being in danger of missing out on a place in the playoffs, the Blasters are just a win away from sneaking into the top-six. From losing 58% of the matches under Stahre, the Blasters now stand at an 80% unbeaten record under the interim bosses.

Kerala Blasters' interim head coach T G Purushothaman. Photo: Manorama
Kerala Blasters' interim head coach T G Purushothaman. Photo: Manorama

In the last five matches, the Blasters have kept three clean sheets, scored seven, and conceded three (3-0 win against Mohammedan, 0-1 loss to Jamshedpur, 1-0 win over Punjab, 3-2 win over Odisha, 0-0 against NorthEast United). By comparison, the Blasters conceded 24 goals from their first 12 matches, managing just one shutout.

"The most important thing is to maintain this (form), and we're trying our level best," said interim head coach Purushothaman. "When we took charge, we weren't thinking about the Super Six. We only thought of tackling one opponent at a time... but we have some plans," said the first Keralite to manage the Blasters.

The coach understands the challenge ahead. In their next five matches, the Blasters face three teams in the top-six, including the top-two, Mohun Bagan (home) and FC Goa (away). But first, they will hit the road for a pair of away matches against sides currently below them in the points table.

The Blasters next play East Bengal FC in Kolkata on Friday (January 24), followed by the away match against Chennaiyin on Thursday (January 30). "We are just going match by match," Purushothaman added.

East Bengal have lost all three matches they played this year, while Chennaiyin are winless in their last four outings. The new coaches have done a decent job in their five games in charge, but the Blasters' chance of advancing to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season will depend on how well they perform in their next five matches.

TAGS