Kerala Blasters' TG Purushothaman highlights 'positives' ahead of Odisha FC clash

The Tuskers are set to battle the Kalinga Warriors in their next home game.

As the Tuskers gear up for their clash against Odisha FC, their interim coach TG Purushothaman shares his thoughts on their recent success. Kerala Blasters have finally gained momentum, having won two of their last three games in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season.

The tactician, insightful about his side’s performance, said, “First and foremost, we are finally performing cohesively as a team. We are more composed and focused. It’s a crucial time for us and we have to be at our best to overcome all the obstacles in the coming games. The first victory gave us some motivation and we are building on it. We are ready to overcome all the challenges coming our way.”

Emphasis on Defensive Solidity

After securing a clean sheet in their previous outing against Punjab FC, despite being reduced to 9 men, Purushothaman credited the entire team for their efforts in achieving the feat. “We were working on compactness in defence, for which we achieved the results, and hopefully, we can continue this as a team. We made a few changes in defence for the same purpose. The three most important aspects of football we are focusing on right now are defending as a team, attacking as a team, and transitioning as a team,” asserted TG Purushothaman.

Strategy ahead of Odisha clash

The Blasters head coach, outlining his strategy for facing Odisha FC at home, stated, “We take none of our opponents lightly. We analyse them and study their strengths and weaknesses. We have a plan, and we are working to implement it. Of course, we aim to reach the playoffs. We have to take it game by game and perform well to achieve that goal.”

Squad Updates

TG Purushothaman shared some major positive updates on the squad status for the game against Odisha. ‘Hopefully, Vibin Mohanan and Jesus Jimenez will be back for the game. We will evaluate their status and finalize their availability after today’s training session and consultation with the medical staff’s report. However, Ishan Pandita remains unfit and will not feature in the next game,’ concluded TG Purushothaman.

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