Simon Grayson: Focus is completely on winning against Kerala Blasters

The Bengaluru FC boss also boasted of the bench strength of his squad.

Resurgent Bengaluru FC host flamboyant Kerala Blasters in a blockbuster Southern Derby at the Kanteerava. Both teams currently are in the playoff places, and as the competition for points heat up, every game becomes a virtual knock-out for the teams. Bengaluru FC are sixth, a point above Odisha. Blasters are third but have looked shaky in recent fixtures due to a mixture of illness and injury. Simon Grayson spoke to the media ahead of the clash, in the company of Roy Krishna.

Edited excerpts from the conversation are as follows.

A good run of form

Bengaluru FC are on a marauding run of five straight victories, and have rediscovered their mojo at home. Simon Grayson said that the confidence is high in the camp, “We’re in a positive frame of mind with the recent results and performances. The players feel confident. Tomorrow’s another big step for us to get where we want to be. I expect it to be an unbelievable atmosphere.”

“The mood in the camp is good. The boys have trained and recovered well. These last three games will be very interesting and could play a big part for us for the rest of the season,” he added.

The rivalry

Every time Kerala Blasters visit Bengaluru, the high octane clash always delivers and the passionate West Block Blues and Manjappada back their players to the hilt. Grayson spoke of the storied rivalry, “I got a sample of the rivalry between the two teams in Kochi. As a team, we need to ensure that we play with our minds and our hearts, and show the passion and desire required for any ISL game.”

“We also need to think about how we execute the game plans that we’ve worked on. I’m really looking forward to the game. It has extra spice considering where the teams are on the table and what’s at stake.”

Roy added, “As a player, it’s always special to play in such big games. It’s three points at stake, so we need to play the same way as we have done in the last five games. We need to do our work individually and as a team.”

Maintaining a set XI

Simon Grayson has shied away from changing the line-up, sticking with the same starting XI for the last three games. However with Suresh Singh suspended against the Blasters, the Blues coach will turn to his bench strength, “The team doesn’t change if things are going well. Roy and Siva have played for the last five games and you can see the confidence they have. The same can be said for our midfield and defence. It’s all about creating a settled team.”

He added, “I’m confident that someone will come in and do Suresh’s job tomorrow. A lot of players have been waiting for that opportunity. Our bench is strong and they could help us win tomorrow. If we win, we will put ourselves in a good position to secure a playoff spot.”

Back in the playoffs conversation

The win-streak has placed Bengaluru FC sixth on the table, within the playoff spots. Grayson underlined that qualification to the knockouts is the objective. He said, “We are totally focused on the next game and not the playoffs although that is our objective. We have given ourselves a great opportunity and now we need to continue winning. But the focus is completely on winning tomorrow.”

The Englishman added, “What we want to do is control what we can control, which is the game we are involved in tomorrow. We can’t let what happens before the game affect us. It’s all about what we do during the 90 minutes on the pitch.”

Roy Krishna's partnership with Sivasakthi Narayanan

The strike partnership of Roy Krishna and Sivasakthi Narayanan has flourished, with both the players complementing each other very well up front. The Fijian showered praise on Siva, “I always enjoy and try to be positive. It was those little moments earlier which weren’t going my way. But I and Siva are linking up well and he knows my game now. So now, I’m feeling good about my form and hopefully, it continues. We need to be positive, stay confident and follow what the coach says.”

“I only have good things to say about Siva. He’s a great player and most importantly, a good listener. He never gives up and has a lot of potential. I always tell him to stay humble, work hard and I think he has a good future ahead of him,” he added.