Mikael Stahre clarifies why Korou Singh was left out of starting lineup in loss against FC Goa in ISL

The Tuskers go down at home against the Gaurs.

Mikael Stahre’s Kerala Blasters are unsettled once again after suffering another home defeat in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25, as FC Goa secured a narrow 1-0 victory in the clash. The Tuskers succumbed to the Gaurs as Boris Singh Thangjam’s unintended weak shots found the back of the net due to a goalkeeping error by Sachin Suresh. The defeat has had a telling blow to their position in the table, further thwarting their progress this season.

The Blasters’ head coach Mikael Stahre was frustrated with his side’s defeat. “It was absolutely not a good game for us. We can’t lose these kinds of games. We lost the ball too easily. We lost our structure as we interchanged too much in our positioning. It’s really hard to admit that we’re not taking any points this evening,” said the gaffer.

Having gone behind by a goal, the Blasters created several chances for an equaliser but could not capitalise on any. Stahre, reacting to the Blasters’ struggles in front of goal, said, “I’m shocked that we didn’t score this evening. We created enough chances, but we were not sharp enough in the final third. We used to be sharp in the final third and score goals, but unfortunately, not tonight,” said the Swedish tactician.

Stahre on Korou Singh’s exclusion from the starting lineup.

Korou Singh Thingujam has been a formidable force in the Blasters’ attack, having provided two assists in two starts for his side. Mikael Stahre, when asked about the youngster not making the starting eleven against Goa, replied, “He’s a young player and I’ve given him a lot of trust so far. He came in against Mumbai in the second half and then played two games in a row in the starting lineup. He’s not ready to play 90 minutes.”

“It’s up to the coach to use the team in the best way. I think he did well in the second half. Instead of starting, he came on and gave the team a boost in the second half. Rahul came on strong in the last game, so from that perspective, it wasn’t a difficult decision to make. The guys who came in performed well, but unfortunately, not well enough to score a goal,” said the manager.

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