We were hoping to prepare ourselves for the playoffs, says KBFC boss Ivan Vukomanovic

Ivan Vukomanovic also praised the efforts of his players as they played consecutive matches in a short period.

Kerala Blasters lost their fourth game in their last five 2023-24 Indian Super League (ISL) matches following a 2-0 defeat to NorthEast United at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium on Saturday. Ivan Vukomanovic did not hesitate to point out how the hectic schedule has cost the team results and points lately.

He was honest in his assessment of the players during the post-match press conference. The tactician lauded the bravery of his players for contributing despite being young and playing out of their natural positions on the pitch.

Here are the excerpts from the conversation.

Praise for the efforts

Ivan Vukomanovic cited a hectic schedule for the loss and also reserved praise for his players. Ivan said, “We were coming out of a difficult period having played three games in one week, with two long travels to Guwahati and Jamshedpur.

“It was exhausting, we were expecting to get fatigued by the last part of the game. I have to praise all of our players who gave their everything on the pitch and some of them were playing in not their natural position.”

Destroyed before playoffs

The tactician expressed how the expectations were to rest key players before the commencement of the playoffs, but the situation has worsened for the Yellow Army. “We were hoping that you can prepare and practice for the playoffs towards the end of this regular part of the season.

“However, the opposite of that happened. You don’t get the time to practice, your players get injured and instead of having the strongest team for the playoffs, we are already destroyed before the playoffs,” Ivan Vukomanovic said.

Recent run of bad results

Ivan Vukomanovic suggested that multiple issues have accumulated throughout the season leading to Kerala Blasters failing to register wins, particularly after the Super Cup in January 2024. He stated, “If you lose so many players to long-term injuries like surgeries then you want to find balance with the remaining players.

“When you accumulate (issues like injuries, travel and breaks in the middle of the season) it on a long term, you cannot achieve results.”

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