Kibu Vicuna vows to win three points against Mumbai City

The 48-year-old backed his players to chip in with their best efforts in the must-win contest against the Islanders.

Kerala Blasters face a tough test in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Wednesday when they take on table-toppers Mumbai City FC. While the Islanders have more-or-less confirmed their place in the playoffs, Kibu Vicuna and co who are currently at the ninth place are struggling to climb higher up in the standings.

It is a must-win game for Kerala Blasters if they want to increase their playoff chances. Ahead of the game, head coach Kibu Vicuna along with midfielder Jeakson Singh spoke in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

Thoughts on Mumbai City

When asked about the prospect of facing the Islanders who are also at the top of the ISL standings, the Spaniard said that the focus is more on his own team and that they want to make a comeback after the loss against ATK Mohun Bagan.

"Mumbai City are a very good team with good players and a good coach," he said. "But following our defeat against ATK Mohun Bagan, we are focusing on our own game. We have to come back and we have to get the three points tomorrow," he continued.

Changing strategies

Although the 48-year-old is known for a possession-based gameplay, Kibu Vicuna has tried different possibilities with Kerala Blasters this season. He also agreed to that statement in the pre-match press conference, before explaining that different opponents require different tactics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQM1FcmxU7E

"It (the strategies) varies because of different teams. But the primary aspect of our gameplay remains the same - we are an offensive side. We prefer creating many chances and scoring goals," the coach said.

"It is true that we have tried out different plans. For example, we had more possession against ATK Mohun Bagan and Jamshedpur FC in our last two games. Meanwhile, we are also working on our defence, because it is equally important to find the correct balance in any team," he asserted.

Refereeing issues

Kerala Blasters' winning chances against ATK Mohun Bagan were marred by a few refereeing glitches. When asked about it, Vicuna expressed that he did not want to talk about the referees.

"I do not want to talk about referees," he said. "We only want to focus on the game as that is the most important thing. As for the referees, we respect them and they are undoubtedly a very important part of the game," he added.

The tactician also shared his thoughts on the small fight that broke between his players and the Mariners as he said, "I do not want to talk about the heated moments because they are part of football. I am very proud of my players and of the team as a whole. Their behaviour both on and off the pitch has been fantastic so far."

Gameplay against ATK Mohun Bagan

It was a disappointing night for the Blasters against the Kolkata giants as they took a two-goal lead only to concede thrice later on and lose the match. Despite so, Vicuna believes that his team did well at least for a part of the game.

"I think we played very well for the greater part of the game. After they got their first goal, I feel we started doubting our chances while they started believing. And that was the difference. if you see the statistics from the game, most of them point in our favour. Therefore it was hard to accept the defeat. It was the small details that cost us the game," he opined.

Scheduling woes

The Kerala Blasters boss was quizzed regarding the problems created by the tight scheduling, which he felt his side have been prepared to face.

"It is true that we played too many games (eight) in January. The recovery process was hence difficult for most players. But we are a professional club and we are physically and mentally prepared to face situations like this. We are ready to play tomorrow as well and we are keen to take home the three points."

Thoughts on Juande and Jessel

Kibu Vicuna shared his thoughts on Juande Lopez and Jessel Carneiro. He asserted that both of them are vital presences in the team and that Carneiro's late substitution against ATK Mohun Bagan was only due to tactical reasons.

Transfers

While other clubs had been active in the January transfer window, Kerala Blasters barely made changes.

"Nothing to say. Every team is trying to improve and this is normal in every winter transfer market," he explained. "Our team is good and we are happy with the players that we have. We had to make some changes - for instance, Subha Ghosh was brought in while Nongdamba Naorem left. We are still waiting for the final decision in that case," he continued.

Jeakson Singh's comments

"I think we all know how we had good moments. we should take these positive things to heart and keep going forward. Mistakes will happen but we cannot let ourselves dwell on them," Jeakson explained when asked about the defensive lapses against ATK Mohun Bagan.

The 19-year-old has proved his mettle as both a midfielder and a defender and claimed that he was equally comfortable with both roles.

"I think both positions are almost similar. I can't take too much risks as a defender as only the goalkeeper would be behind me. On the other hand, when I play as a midfielder, I can take more risks as there will be at least four players behind me. And that is the only difference that I feel between both positions," he expressed.

The starlet also spoke about his former teammate Bartholomew Ogbeche, who will be featuring for Mumbai City in their next game. "Mumbai City are a good team, but that will not stop us from trying our best for the three points tomorrow. Ogbeche is like my brother. He is a good player and it feels good to be playing against him and trying to defend him," he concluded.

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