We’ll need to play our best game of the season to win, says Kerala Blasters coach Mikael Stahre

The Tuskers will aim to bounce back from the derby defeat.

Mikael Stahre’s Kerala Blasters are set to battle Mumbai City FC in their fourth away fixture of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season. They are looking to bounce back from a 3-1 away defeat in their previous home fixture against club rivals Bengaluru FC. Despite playing better for the majority of the 90 minutes, two individual errors at the back cost the game for the Tuskers.

The Blaster’s head coach Mikael Stahre, commented on the derby defeat, stating, “Everyone was disappointed after the game but it hasn’t been hard to regroup after that performance. Of course, it was a hard loss but we are energetic and optimistic for this upcoming game. We think we are on the right track, even if this defeat was really painful. Unfortunately, in football, individual errors happen but that’s also a part of the game.

“It’s really important to learn from our mistakes and erase these concerns. It’s crucial in a football game that we avoid these kinds of things, but in general, we are playing well, and we will be well prepared for the next game.”

Regrouping after defeat

Mikael Stahre was asked about the morale in the dressing room after the defeat against Bengaluru. “I must say that this group is good at bouncing back after difficulties, and the reaction this week after the defeat was brilliant. Yesterday’s training was one of the best so far this season since I took over. I can’t see any negative reactions but only positive responses from everyone, wanting to show up, play again, and win.”

“It’s always about bouncing back, analyzing things, ensuring mistakes don’t happen again, and moving forward. That’s one part of my job, to reset and move on. It’s going to be difficult if you’re stuck in the past,” Mikael Stahre replied.

Insights for tough opposition

The Blasters’ coach shared his thoughts on facing the defending champions away from home. “I think they’re a strong opponent. They are well-organized, with good players and a good coach. They performed really well last season, so it’s a tough game for us, but it’ll be a challenging home game for them too.”

“They’re a solid team with some top players, and we haven’t seen the best from them yet. However, we need to go there focused on bringing the same energy, determination, and concentration to our game. We need to play our best away game of the season to win this fixture,” Mikael Stahre said.

Home support as a positive force

Mikael Stahre, when asked if the home support affects the players negatively with added pressure, said, “Playing in front of these fantastic fans and the atmosphere here can never be a negative thing. I don’t feel that the pressure is negative at all, and the mistakes we made in this game could happen in Kolkata, Delhi, or anywhere. For me, the fans are a positive force for us and even after this tough loss, they stayed afterward and encouraged the team.

“When you’re losing lots of games and performing poorly, of course, the fans get frustrated. But up until now, I think they see that we’re making progress and playing good football. In the future, we want to keep playing good football and win games, because, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.”

Injury updates and squad status

The head coach, regarding the injury concerns and availability of the squad for the fixture, said, “We had 24 or 25 players available to play when we finished training yesterday. We have plenty of options, and we’ll have a strong lineup against Mumbai, along with a solid bench, so we’ll be competitive.”

Mikael Stahre added on Sachin Suresh’s recovery, “I think he is in the right direction, and most likely wants to play in this game. We have two important games to play now and then we’ll have the international break. Hopefully, he can come back during that time.”

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