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So near, yet so far: this has been Kerala Blasters FC’s story in the Indian Super League (ISL) over the past decade. They have been runners-up on three occasions, often failing at the last hurdle, which has certainly caused frustration among the Manjappada.
However, the Blasters are almost always present in the final stages and the club’s determination to deliver results despite setbacks has been a feature of their success. Ever since Ivan Vukomanovic arrived in Kerala, the process has been trusted, and they are now reaping the rewards.
The ISL 2021-22 season was unquestionably one to remember for Kerala Blasters. Although the campaign ended on a sour note, they looked to build on their momentum this season.
Fast forward a year and they will once again have an opportunity to compete for the trophy despite suffering some inconsistent patches along the way.
Vukomanovic’s side finished fifth in the ISL 2022-23 standings and will face their southern rivals Bengaluru FC in a playoff knockout fixture away from home this week. They have struggled in recent weeks, especially on the road, losing their last five away games and scoring just twice.
However, this is knockout football. Teams have ninety minutes to deliver and with all the narrative around this fixture, it could swing either way. Kerala Blasters will certainly fancy their chances in Bengaluru on Friday, March 3.
As the season has progressed, problems have arisen, and Vukomanovic has frequently chopped and changed his side tactically and with respect to personnel. On that note, let’s take a look at the Blasters’ journey thus far in ISL 2022-23, focusing on their style of play, strengths, and weaknesses.
Kerala Blasters - Style of Play and season so far
Ivan Vukomanovic began the season in a similar system he adopted last season regardless of players like Alvaro Vazquez and Jorge Pereyra Diaz leaving.
A 4-2-2-2 shape was at the helm, with the full-backs advancing higher up the pitch. Wingers Adrian Luna and Sahal Abdul Samad drifted inside to create one or two-touch passing sequences between them.
Dimitrios Diamantakos and Ivan Kaliuzhnyi, who were signed in the summer transfer window, occupied the front two. Although the two players had different attributes to Vazquez and Diaz, they slotted in as a pair.
There were constant rotations among the front four, which created dynamism in attack.
However, this shape had a few problems, and it was evident in Kerala Blasters' initial few games of the season.
As the full-backs advanced forward, teams began taking advantage of the space on the flanks. The sequence below in their 5-2 defeat against ATK Mohun Bagan in October last year sums it up.
Left-back Jessel Carneiro was caught out of position, which in turn, dragged center-back Marko Leskovic wider.
The two centre-backs (highlighted in yellow) are now attracted to the ball, allowing an opportunity for midfielder Joni Kauko to make a run into the vacated space. He is played through on goal and completes a well-worked move, but Jessel’s initial positioning ultimately created the issue.
After learning his lesson the hard way, Vukomanovic made slight tweaks to his team’s shape in order to protect his team from suffering during transitions. He instructed one full-back to stay deeper in possession and the other to probe forward and hold the width.
This, in turn, created a 3-2-5 shape when KBFC had the ball and allowed Luna to position himself between the lines. Lalthathanga 'Puitea' Khawlhring was eventually dropped and Kaliuzhnyi was given a deeper role alongside Jeakson Singh.
Furthermore, Rahul KP’s introduction to the side added pace and quality to the right flank.
What followed was extraordinary. Kerala Blasters went on an eight-game unbeaten run (winning seven) and only conceded five goals while scoring fifteen.
They competed alongside Mumbai City FC and Hyderabad FC for the ISL shield at the start of the year as Vukomanovic’s blueprint worked to perfection. However, their season witnessed another twist.
Injuries to Leskovic and Sandeep Singh threw a curveball. The former has been a leader at the back, and his situational and positional awareness is second to none. Moreover, he improved the players around him and his loss was undoubtedly a colossal blow.
Sandeep, meanwhile, seamlessly slotted into the full-back role and was an important figure in the side during their eight-game unbeaten run.
Following the injuries, Kerala Blasters only won two of their next eight games and lost all five of their away matches. Vukomanovic is undoubtedly struggling to find solutions as they arrive in the playoffs on the back of consecutive defeats against Bengaluru FC, ATK Mohun Bagan, and Hyderabad FC.
Strengths
Adrian Luna is certainly the spark that makes Kerala Blasters tick. His ability to create chances and score goals regularly makes him a game-changer. The squad is built around him and, as a result, he is given a free role to either drop deeper and dictate things or drift into the pockets to receive the ball in the final third.
His allround play in the 3-2 win against Bengaluru FC in Kochi in December certainly displayed what he is capable of. The Uruguayan often escaped his marker and dropped to the halfway line to receive the ball in space.
On this instance, he followed it up with a pass to full-back Nishu Kumar and made an overlapping run, which created a two-versus-one situation on the left flank.
Luna then receives the ball on the run and delivers an inch-perfect cross to Diamantakos, who calmly slots the ball into the back of the net.
Although he has only four goals and six assists this season, his potential to create a goal out of nothing will be a key feature in the knockout rounds.
Striker Diamantakos has been another success story for the Tuskers, having scored 10 goals this season. Although questions have been raised on whether he suits Vukomanovic’s system, the forward has certainly delivered in front of goal.
His physical presence and elite hold-up play adds another dimension to Kerala Blasters' attack, and he thrives when creative players around him provide service.
On their day, the Tuskers appear unstoppable. Luna, Apostolos Giannou, Diamantakos, Kaliuzhnyi, and Sahal can all single-handedly rise to the occasion and grab the headlines. Additionally, their one-touch football and technical ability provide them with an edge over their opponents.
Their goal of the season contender against Jamshedpur FC in Kochi certainly emphasized their potential.
Kerala Blasters also tend to attack their box in numbers from both open-play situations and set-pieces, which can overwhelm their opponents.
Luna’s dead ball deliveries are another source of chance creation. The Tuskers have scored five goals from set-pieces; only Mumbai City FC and Hyderabad FC have more goals from those situations.
Weakness
As mentioned above, injuries to several key players have halted Kerala Blasters’ progress this season. Their away form has been dismal in recent weeks, having lost five games on the bounce on the road.
Moreover, their star players have failed to deliver consistently and Adrian Luna has arguably been carrying them on his shoulders since the turn of the year.
As a result, opponents have figured out that if they can take Luna out of the game, their creativity drops a notch, and ultimately Kerala Blasters become predictable. Furthermore, individual mistakes have crept in as they have lost focus at crucial times on multiple occasions.
Vukomanovic has constantly rotated his full-backs, with the hope of finding the right combinations, but it ultimately appears to be a weak link in the squad. Jessel Carneiro, Harmanjot Khabra, and Nishu Kumar have all struggled to win individual duels and consequently, teams are looking to target their flanks.
Additionally, they have only created four big chances in their last five away games. Their expected goal (xG) tally lies at just 3.59, while their expected goals against (xGA) figure stands at 7.67 in those matches.
A trip to the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore is not what Kerala Blasters would have wanted, given that Bengaluru FC are on an eight-match winning run. However, they will hope to bank on the squad’s experience in the knockout rounds to bounce back on Friday.
