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It has been a bemusing season so far for the Kerala Blasters. After a solid Indian player's draft and acquiring some fine foreign signings, the Blasters were predicted by many to be the trendsetters in the 2017/18 edition of the Indian Super League. But the exact opposite happened when the action actually began.
Manager Rene Muelensteen was sacked only after seven games into the league. He had won just one game in charge of the two-time finalists. His successor David James has so far steadied the sinking ship with the Blasters still having a chance of making the playoffs. With 21 points from 15 matches, Kerala are currently at fifth spot in the league table.
There are three games to play for the Blasters. A home game against Chennaiyin FC is sandwiched between two tricky away matches against the likes of NorthEast United and Bengaluru FC. They need to win all three in order to avoid relying on other permutations and combinations to go their way. In this segment, let us take a look at five reasons why Kerala Blasters can still make it to the playoffs.
#5 Other contenders can drop points
Looking at the performances so far, the likes of FC Pune City and Chennaiyin FC are expected to join Bengaluru FC into the playoffs. This leaves one place remaining with as many as four teams still in the race to make up the four best teams. Blasters will have to outclass the likes of FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City - the three playoff contenders to make a place for themselves.
Jamshedpur and Goa are set to clash in the final game-week of the league with the new entrants having a tough fixture list on their hands. Mumbai City have three away games remaining out of their four with the Islanders not being at their decent on their travels this season.
The Blasters do not have a game against any of the mentioned contenders which gives them a chance of going up the table with their rivals probably dropping valuable points.
#4 A well spread out fixture list
Fixture congestion has been one of the major talking points this ISL season. Almost every team in the competition has had a challenging fixture list with as many as four matches in the space of 12 odd days. Kerala Blasters too have had a taxing fixture list just after David James took over in January.
Blasters played six matches in 22 days from January 4 - January 23. It involved three home and three away fixtures. But in the remaining three important games, the Kochi unit have ample time to recover and train.
Kerala play against North East United on Saturday and then directly play on February 23 against Chennaiyin FC. Then after a five-day gap, they will play their final league match away to Bengaluru FC on March 1.
#3 Jamshedpur FC's tricky fixtures
With 25 points from 15 matches and sitting in the fourth spot, Jamshedpur FC can be said as Kerala Blasters' biggest threat in reaching the playoffs. Under the shrewd management of Steve Coppell, the new team has done exceedingly well with their defensive work particularly catching the eye.
But it is not going to be a stroll in the park for Jamshedpur in their remaining three encounters. Coppell's men face Chennaiyin FC away on Sunday and then welcome a stellar Bengaluru FC side to their home a week later. They play their final league game against FC Goa which promises to be a riveting match with both sides aiming to reach the top four.
Chennaiyin FC, Bengaluru FC and FC Goa may just be the most difficult lineup remaining for any top-four contender. Such a scenario can provide Kerala Blasters with a ray of hope for their future matches.
#2 Dimitar Berbatov's resurgence
Dimitar Berbatov was the most high profile signing of this ISL season. But his struggles with form and injury at the start of the season hampered Blasters' progress. Playing in a central midfield role, Berbatov's good work has often gone unnoticed in the past few weeks.
He has been playing brilliantly since his return from injury and scored the all-important goal in the 2-2 draw with ATK. Setting up the tempo for his side from the centre of the park, Berbatov has played a pivotal role in his side's attacking contribution.
The former Manchester United averages more touches and has a higher successful passing rate than the other midfielders and forwards in the Kerala ranks. David James needs his star player to perform at this level in the remaining matches in order to have a real chance of qualifying for the top four and delivering on the expectations of the fanbase.
#1 Experience of playing under pressure
Kerala Blasters have reached the finals two times in three seasons and have missed out on the coveted trophy by a whisker. In the inaugural season, they managed to progress to the title clash by rising their game to suit the demands of playing under pressure. This time around as well, they have the players to clinch crunch matches.
The Blasters have the experience of playing in high voltage games where a lot is on the line for the side. The likes of Jamshedpur FC do not possess that experience whereas FC Goa have done a major revamp to their squad and do not possess the same spine that propelled them to the final in 2015.
CK Vineeth and Sandesh Jhingan along with the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Wes Brown have enough experience under their belts to find form at the right time and help Kerala to make a late entry into the playoffs.
