Kerala Blasters, the Kochi-based Indian Super League franchise, is the most successful team in the league in terms of fan following. The men in yellow are known for their passionate fans who almost fill every available seat at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
However, the tuskers have had a roller coaster ride in the previous four seasons of the Indian Super League (ISL). Kerala Blasters were the finalists in the inaugural edition of the ISL and they repeated the feat in ISL 3. However, they have failed to lift the trophy.
ISL 2 was the poorest season for KBFC with a last-place finish, while last season, they finished at sixth despite splurging money on high-profile players like Dimitar Berbatov, Wes Brown and coach Rene Meulensteen.
New beginning
After the lacklustre fourth season, Kerala Blasters FC have decided to go for a new path that gives a lot of importance to young players. As part of the plan, KBFC has even decided to bid adieu to fan favourite Ian Hume.
Under coach David James, Kerala Blasters have recruited many young players and the average age of the new contingent is 22.6 years. There are only three players over the age of 30 and David James has clearly mentioned that he has high hopes from the young squad. Will the move work or backfire?
Kerala Blasters squad for 2018-19
|
Goalkeepers |
Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem Naveen Kumar Sujith Sasikumar |
|
Defenders |
Anas Edathodika Cyril Kali Lalruatthara Mohammad Rakip Nemanja Lakic-Pesic Sandesh Jhingan Pritam Kumar Singh |
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Midfielders |
Courage Pekuson Kizito Keziron Zakeer Mundampara Loken Meitei Sahal Abdul Samad Deependra Negi Seiminlen Doungel Prasanth K Nikola Krcmarevic Hrishi Dhath Halicharan Narzary Suraj Rawat |
|
Forwards |
CK Vineeth Matej Poplatnik Slavisa Stojanovic |
Foreign players - Matej Poplatnik, Slavisa Stojanovic, Nikola Krcmarevic, Cyril Kali, Kizito Keziron and Nemanja Lakic-Pesic.
Team analysis and strength
The presence of national team duo Sandesh Jhingan and Anas Edathodika complemented with Lalruatthara, Cyril Kali and Nemanja Lakic-Pesic tell KBFC's defence is solid. Opposition forwards will have a tough time to break the chain of Blasters' wall and the department also has good depth.
David James also has two goalkeepers with different styles and ages at his disposal. The back line of KBFC is packed in papers.
The arrival of Halicharan Narzary and Seminlen Doungel means, KBFC has the good option for attacking wing play. Kizito Keziron and Courage Pekuson were impressive last year and African duo expected to continue the form.
Kerala Blasters have replaced ISL's all-time top scorer Ian Hume with Matej Poplatnik and Slavisla Stojanovic. The attacking department also has local hero CK Vineeth who has scored many important goals for the Tuskers in the past seasons. If the three forwards live up to their calibre, KBFC's attack will be unstoppable this season.
Area of concern
One of the problems that led to the downfall of KBFC last season was the lack of quality in midfield. Identifying this drawback, James has recruited Nikola Krcmarevic and Zakeer Mundampara in addition to the tried and tested African duo Kizito Keziron and Courage Pekuson.
Even after such recruits, KBFC's central department looks slightly loose. Only after the first match can one comment on how good is Blasters' mid-field.
Top 3 players to watch out
Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem- The 18-year-old Manipur born goalkeeper was one of the standout performers for the India U-17s at the FIFA U-17 World Cup last year. He had a short stint with Scottish club Motherwell FC and trained with English Premier Club Bournemouth before putting pen to paper with Kerala Blasters. David James is impressed with Dheeraj already and he is expected to be the first choice goalkeeper for KBFC.
Matej Poplatnik- the 26-years old attacker has been termed as Slovenian goal-machine for his goal-scoring prowess. He scored a whopping 16 goals in the premier division of Slovenia and finished as third highest in league's top scorer list last year. His form will be critical in Tuskers' ISL season 5 journey.
Sandesh Jhingan- The 25-year-old defender from Chandigarh has already made Kochi as his second. Part of the Tuskers from season 1, Jhingan has experienced the ups and downs of the club. He will continue as captain of the club and also play a pivotal role in defence Standing at a height of 6 feet 2 inches, Jhingan is the most capped player for the Blasters with 59 appearances.
