TG Purushothaman optimistic about Kerala Blasters tackling the physical battle against Chennaiyin FC

Kerala Blasters gear up for southern derby against Marina Machans.

TG Purushothaman’s Kerala Blasters are ready to bounce back after a setback in their last game against East Bengal FC, which dealt a significant blow to their playoff hopes. As the Tuskers prepare for their next encounter in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season against arch-rivals Chennaiyin FC, their interim coach, TG Purushothaman, shares his thoughts ahead of the game.

Playoff hopes at stake with tough fixtures ahead

The Blasters have a rocky road ahead in the league as they aim to qualify for the playoffs. Purushothaman opens up about his side’s chances against the tough encounters awaiting them in the league. “As I’ve said before, we are taking it game by game. We are already focused on the Chennaiyin game. We know that we have some strong opponents to face,” said the tactician.

“Every team in the ISL is very strong, whether we play at home or away. We respect our opponents, but we are determined to achieve our goals in the right manner. We are planning accordingly and approaching every match one at a time,” he added.

Blasters ready for physical battle

Chennaiyin FC has been one of the physically dominant sides in the league. The Blasters coach, shareing his strategies ahead of the clash, said, “Regarding the physicality on the pitch, we can see the stats from the last match against East Bengal, particularly how many duels we won. We are also capable of handling duels and the long ball strategy. We are well-prepared for that. We must overcome everything that comes our way and achieve our goal.”

Purushothaman ready for Coyle test

Chennaiyin’s Owen Coyle is one of the most experienced coaches in the league. Purushothaman, talking about his first encounter as head coach against Coyle, stated “All respect to the coach. He has been here for a long time. However, what we need to achieve, we must achieve. As a team, we need to focus on our own performance, not just the coach’s tactics. We have to overcome any challenges and perform well to reach our goal.”

Teamwork over individuals

Kerala Blasters had to compromise on starting an all-overseas attack up front in order to integrate a foreign defender at the back to strengthen the defence. Purushothaman, commenting on not playing with an all-Indian defence to avoid any leakage at the back, said, “We plan according to the tactics the opponents use and our own tactics. It’s not about the belief in foreign or Indian players, but rather a team effort. We need to move forward as a team and perform as a team. It’s all about teamwork. Every player who comes on has to fulfil his duties and responsibilities.”

Purushothaman sees an opportunity in the break

Kerala Blasters have a long break in the schedule coming up, as they do not play for another two weeks after this fixture. Purushothaman, speaking about utilising the break effectively, said, “It will be beneficial for our team to capitalise on the time we get. We aim to implement all our ideas and work together as a team. This will be good for the long break. Let’s see how it goes.”

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