We are way too fragile, says Kerala Blasters coach Mikael Stahre after devastating defeat in southern derby in ISL

Mikael Stahre’s Tuskers go down against the Blues in the southern derby.

Mikael Stahre Kerala Blasters’ winless streak at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium continues, as they once again taste defeat against Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season. The Blues went up 2-0 in the first half to which the Blasters responded with a thrilling display in the second half to level things up. However, Sunil Chhetri scored twice late in the game to secure a 4-2 victory for his side, with Kerala Blasters’ comedy of errors at the back proving costly yet again.

Mikael Stahre, responding to his side’s defeat, said, “I’m disappointed with the defeat. It’s never easy in an away game, especially when you’re playing against a rival in a derby and going 2-0 down. I’m proud of how the guys reacted in the second half. We were mentally strong out there.”

“It’s hard to admit that we conceded two easy goals. From a structural perspective, the goals came out of nothing. We conceded four goals but it doesn’t reflect the overall picture of the game. We were way too fragile, and that’s our problem. It’s not about the team as a whole, but rather some individuals. We make too many individual mistakes and unforced errors,” said the gaffer.

Kerala Blasters have lost five of their last six games this season. Mikael Stahre, reflecting on how he plans to correct these errors and climb the table, stated, “The only thing you can do is try to make things right.

Concentration is important in training sessions, in every single situation. Don’t let the concentration slip away in any training session.

“We are practicing well, but we have to admit that football is about dealing with pressure. It’s one thing to deal with pressure in training sessions on a sunny day, but it’s a different situation when you have 25,000 to 30,000 fans in the stands. It’s about quality.

“We are going to solve this. We are playing quite well and that’s why I’m still optimistic. We are still in every single game but it’s worrying that we are conceding too many goals from one to another,” said Mikael Stahre.

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