Preparing for the ISL is top objective, states Ivan Vukomanovic

The Kerala Blasters' boss indicated that he is very satisfied with his team's preparations so far in the pre-season.

Kerala Blasters will begin their Durand Cup 2021 campaign on Saturday, September 11. Indian Navy, who beat Delhi FC 2-1 in their opening clash are the Yellow Army's first opponents. Meanwhile, the club's head coach Ivan Vukomanovic said that his team's main goal continues to be their upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 campaign.

Vukomanovic, along with defender Jessel Carneiro spoke in the pre-match press conference on Friday. Although the 44-year-old agreed with Carneiro who said that every game is the same for them irrespective of whether it's a training match or a competitive fixture, he also said that the Durand Cup matches will be used as a part of their preparations for the Indian top-flight league which is set to begin on November 19.

Here are the excerpts from the conversation.

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Striking a balance between pre-season training and Durand Cup

Ivan Vukomanovic said that it is his honour to be a part of Kerala Blasters as they gear up for their first-ever appearance at the Durand Cup.

"It's always nice to compete in tournaments like these. Everyone has a chance to win it. The Durand Cup is a prestigious competition and it's our honour to be here. On the other hand, we're also mid-way through our preparations for the ISL," he said.

"We've developed a training programme keeping in mind the Indian Super League. Durand Cup 2021, meanwhile, is coming in a period where we can use these games as a part of our fulfilling our main goal," the tactician clarified.

"These games will add spice to our preparations as they're part of a competition. Of course, we would also like to compete hard and prove ourselves here. We'd want to do our best to make Kerala Blasters fans happy."

Rating Blasters' pre-season preparations

"I must admit that I'm very satisfied with all that happened in Kochi," Vukomanovic said, when asked about his side's pre-season camp. "We started on a positive note with good intentions," he added.

"We're still working on completing our team - especially in the case of foreigners. Apart from that, we completed five weeks of training at Kochi and we're pleased about it. The conditions that prevailed favoured good-quality work, and we were also able to avoid injuries and difficult moments. We're very happy with the effort that the boys showed in every training session. They also maintained professional behaviour both on and off the pitch throughout this period," he continued.

"We've built very good relationships with each other. So far, everything has been fine. We're happy, and at the same time, sorry for having left Kochi. It felt really nice there, and I'm very thankful for all the energy and support that we got - especially to all the fans that showed up."

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Regarding training facilities at Durand Cup 2021

While Ivan Vukomanovic agreed that the facilities at Kolkata are not as good as he would have wanted, he also clarified that he understood the difficulties faced by the organizers of the competition.

"Since arriving here, we've continued our preparations with the ISL in sight. Maybe a few things are not happening as we'd originally planned, with regards to training time, facilities and so on. But then, we're a team that are looking to different circumstances and continue our work. The past couple of days have been difficult, as we were obliged to train at 8 am in the morning which was not the original time as per our plans," he said.

"But, of course we understand the difficulties behind organising such a tournament with many teams. It's not easy to schedule everything flawlessly. But we don't care about it. These are things we cannot control. So we try to adapt and make the best of the current situation. Meanwhile, hopefully we will make more progress in the coming days and hopefully that will make our players happy," the 44-year-old expessed.

Arrival of foreign players

https://youtu.be/bNy2UwBiDE8

Enes Sipovic, Adrian Luna and Chencho Gyeltshen have already joined their teammates in Kolkata. The trio are included in the Blasters' Durand Cup squad along with Jorge Pereyra Diaz. Vukomanovic revealed that the club are currently working to facilitate Diaz's and Alvaro Vazquez's timely arrival in India.

"Chencho had a longer break since last season than the other foreigners, and we're now working with him to help him get back his rhythm and shape. If I am to speak about the other foreigners, we're expecting them to be here by the end of next week. It depends on the administration at their respective countries, but we have a good relationship with them and they've promised us that the paperwork will be settled soon," the 44-year-old clarified.

The Serbian tactician was quizzed regarding what made the southerners sign the current crop of overseas players. Speaking about it, Ivan Vukomanovic revealed it was because primarily because of two reasons.

"Sipovic and Chencho may not need much time to adapt, as they're already aware of the league, their opponents, and some of their teammates," he answered.

"Regarding our other foreign players, we were looking at other aspects that they would bring to the team, and ultimately we're happy with what they've shown us."

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Role of Durand Cup in Indian football

The Serbian was also asked about his feelings on the timing of Durand Cup 2021 and its implications, given how Indian Super League is a short, five-months-long league.

"If you speak about the duration of the ISL, it's short when compared to other leagues across the world. Hence, tournaments like Durand Cup help reduce the 'gap' between two consecutive league seasons and keep players active. At the same time, it's also important to notice when these tournaments happen," he answered.

"Usually during pre-season, it's friendly games that happen and they serve to confirm certain things regarding how you want a team to work. Pre-season is also where we have to be very careful about certain things like injuries.

"Durand Cup may be one of the most important tournaments in India. Winning the trophy here would give any team a good feeling. However, the fact that these are not friendly games during pre-season will add something interesting to our work as a team," Vukomanovic further added.

"Hence, we accept the fact that the Durand Cup is here and that we're playing in it during pre-season. We will try to compete well, but still have the ISL as our primary objective. So maybe, we'll try to find a balance between dividing playing time among all players, and at the same time try to get good results."

Thoughts on Durand Cup opponents

Kerala Blasters are in a relatively-tough group in Durand Cup 2021, alongside Bengaluru FC, Delhi FC and Indian Navy - who started on a winning note. On Saturday, the Blasters will be facing Indian Navy.

"We haven't thought much about our opponents. This is because we're in that part of our pre-season where we're still concentrating mostly on ourselves alone. We want to improve several aspects in our performances," the Kerala Blasters head coach stated.

"We mean no disrespect to our opponents, and of course we've watched the previous games and observed some things about them, which will be on our minds in the next couple of weeks."

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Jessel Carneiro's comments

The defender accompanied Vukomanovic at the pre-match press conference and also spoke at the event.

"Each and every game is the same, whether it's a practice match or a competitive game. We have to go all-out and give our best. We're preparing ourselves for the same and are looking to grab any opportunity that we get to prove ourselves," he began.

"About the injury scare during pre-season - they're a part of the game. We can't control it, so we neither fear them nor will we step back. At Durand Cup, we'll give it our all," the left-back added. He also clarified that his ultimate objective for the season would be nothing less than to win the ISL.

Speaking on the competition for his position (alongside Denechandra Meitei, Sanjeev Stalin etc.) in the team, the Goan said that it's up to the coach to decide who will play, based on what the team wants.

"My job is to give my 100% in training. The coach decides the rest. Meanwhile, I'll give my best and play my heart out whenever I have the chance. I'm currently trying to adapt myself to his playing style and giving my best."

Ivan Vukomanovic, meanwhile, clarified that that Jessel Carneiro is an important part of his squad. "He's a fantastic player and I'm happy with him. He's a very important part of the team. He has been improving, and we'll see it soon. It will be clear in our games. That's how we want it to be.

"I have no complaints about anyone, and it's same with Jessel," he concluded.

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