Have to reflect on what we could do better in starting 15 minutes, asserts Petr Kratky

The Mumbai City coach feels it’s a learning opportunity for his side.

Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky accepted the defeat positively as his team was downed by Kerala Blasters FC with a scoreline of 2-0 in Matchweek 11 of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Sunday.

The Islanders suffered their first defeat of the season against an in-form Kerala Blasters FC side, who were backed by a huge fan support from the stands. Dimitrios Diamantakos opened the scoring in the 11th minute of the match by skillfully controlling the ball from a Kwame Peprah pass before slotting it behind Mumbai City FC goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa. Seconds before the halftime whistle, Peprah doubled the lead, scoring his second goal of the season and securing a 2-0 victory for the Blasters.

The head coach is optimistic about the defeat and believes that his team needs to reflect and improve.

“So if I reflect on the game, I think the first 15 minutes was crucial because Kerala Blasters FC came strong pressing. Our boys tried their best. I think there’s a lot of positive take from that game, but also we have to reflect on what we could do better in the starting 15 minutes and help the boys a little bit more, to deal with these occasions. So again, for me, I’m proud of the boys for how they deal with the game because we kept (possession of) the ball,” stated Kratky in the post-match press conference. 

Mumbai City FC were without four key players who were serving suspensions after receiving their marching orders in the previous match against Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

Speaking in this context he said, “There is always an impact on the game if players are missing, whether they are on the bench or off the bench. But, from what I’m learning, our squad is still good enough to deal with any opponents in this league.”

The head coach acknowledges the strength of the opposition and also recognizes the support from the home fans.“Kerala Blasters is a very good team. So we have to respect that. And you’re going away, with 40,000 people, they are amazing and pushing the home team. So you have to respect the quality of the opponents,” he said.“But again it is just a learning opportunity for us, we need to regroup and look forward to the next game,” he added.

The situation worsened for the away side when Rostyn Griffiths got injured early in the game, forcing him off the field just 15 minutes into the match.“The early changes, you know, it’s unexpected. But again we have to deal with this situation. That’s why we are here. Sometimes happens in ten minutes. Sometimes happens in 45, happens later in the game. But this is where we need to be strong and believe in how we want to play. Rostyn is a very good player. So hopefully he will be back soon,” Kratky commented.

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