ISL 2022-23: "A great achievement for us as a club" - Ivan Vukomanovic pleased to lead Kerala Blasters to historical feat with win against Hyderabad FC

Kerala Blasters earned a 1-0 victory over Hyderabad FC in their seventh match of the 2022-23 Indian Super League (ISL) on Saturday (November 19).

Hyderabad went into the match on the back of a six-game unbeaten run, having kept clean sheets in each of their last five matches. However, a first-half goal from Dimitrios Diamantakos saw Kerala Blasters claim the three points.

Addressing the media after the game, Kerala Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic insisted that he knew the match would be ugly:

"Seeing that Hyderabad are one of the best teams in the ISL, we knew that it'll be a tough game, it'll be an ugly game with lots of duels, lots of difficult situations, difficult decisions for everybody - for players and referees."

The Kerala Blasters coach added:

"Coming from losing the final against this team, we knew that if we wanted to achieve something today, we needed to be tough, we needed to be organized, we needed to be compact, concentrate on set-pieces, on every possible detail in order to collect the points because we're now in a momentum where we need to fight for every point."

Kerala Blasters have now won three consecutive ISL matches for the first time in their history. Vukomanovic expressed his delight at being able to achieve this feat:

"We're now third in the ISL. Last year, many clubs, being disorganized, dropped points. Now, we recognize that in this part of the season we need to be focused because even if the top six [will qualify the play-offs] this year, we want to look like a team that is tough to beat."

He added:

"We want to be strong in every possible aspect. Especially coming after three defeats in a row, we needed to change certain things about the approach, the mentality, the character and it resulted in three victories in a row, which is a historical moment for us as a club because it never happened in the history of our club."

The Serbian went on to stress the need for Kerala Blasters to keep their feet on the ground as they now look forward to their next match:

"Of course, this is the momentum we need to continue building. We now have two weeks in front of us before the next game. We need to be very calm, we need to be, like I always repeat, very humble knowing what our position is, knowing who we are, how we need to act, how we need to prepare for the next period."

He added:

"This victory means a lot to us, to the fans, a special thanks to them for coming here today to cheer us on. A great achievement for us as a club and for our owner, who is from Hyderabad. This victory, we dedicate to him and his family and all the fans who supported us, not only here, but all around Kerala."

Vukomanovic then explained that the threat posed by the likes of Bartholomew Ogbeche in the Hyderabad side tempted him to set Kerala Blasters to sit back:

"I think we were very organized in the first half. Scoring that goal, then dropping down a little bit, trying to stay compact, not allowing our opponents to create chances. We knew that we need to stay compact, especially during the time Bart [Ogbeche] was on the pitch because he's one of the best strikers in the league."

He added:

"We knew that if you allow not only him, but the other players, space between the lines, they can punish you any time they want. That's why we wanted to be more organized, more defensive, which was the same in the second half, where we didn't want to concede that goal. There were chances on both sides, it could have gone both ways, but in the end, we're happy with the three points."

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Vukomanovic grateful for Kerala Blasters fans amid immense away support

Vukomanovic also expressed his gratitude towards the traveling Kerala Blasters fans who had the team's back throughout the match:

"Absolutely because that kind of feeling is something that you cannot describe, the way they push you. Not only playing at home, tonight we saw that they are here in difficult moments to have your back. I think that the players, when they are on the pitch, feel this support, they go over the limit, they go and push harder, even when they have to defend, they defend harder, they will not allow opponents to pass."

He added:

"These kinds of things are very important. We're very grateful to have these kinds of fans. They proved it again today and we're very grateful. I'm very grateful. I have been a part of this great club and family for a year and a half."

The Kerala Blasters coach added that they want to give everything for the fans who come out to support them in big numbers:

"We feel it one every step around India, not only in Kerala or Kochi. It's a pleasure. For me, it's an honor. I hope they will continue supporting us. The fans feel good vibrations, they feel if you're working well, if you're doing everything for them."

He added:

"We, as a team, as a club, know that we have this obligation to give everything for them. Whether we lose, whether we win, whether we draw, we want to always give everything for them because they deserve to see us doing that and fighting for the logo we wear."

Diamantakos, who failed to score in his first four ISL matches, have now found the back of the net in three consecutive games. The Kerala Blasters boss provided his thoughts on the Greek striker:

"Dimi is a great guy, a great human being, he's a very good player. I've known him for years as a player. When he arrived, that's when we met personally, but I followed him for a long time when he was playing in Europe."

He added:

"He's a great guy who works very hard on the pitch. The fact that he needed a couple of games to adapt to Indian football, the fact that he didn't have a proper pre-season, it takes time sometimes."

The Kerala Blasters coach also shared an update on Adrian Luna, saying:

"If you talk about Adrian Luna as well, he missed most of pre-season due to personal issues. When you have that situation, you need a couple of games and couple of weeks to put all these things together."

He said:

"Then, you need the guys to get to know each other, how they want and need to play together and all these things like you're trying to complete a puzzle. In the end, it gives results. "

Kerala Blasters now sit third in the ISL table with 12 points from seven matches.