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Kerala Blasters suffered a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Mumbai City FC in the 2022-23 Indian Super League (ISL) at the Mumbai Football Arena today (Sunday, January 8).
Kerala Blasters faced Des Buckingham's Mumbai City in their 13th ISL match of the season today. They went into the game looking to build on their eight-game unbeaten run and move further up the ladder.
However, the trip to Mumbai did not go according to plan for the Kerala Blasters as they succumbed to a 4-0 defeat. Former Yellow Army forward Jorge Pereyra Diaz grabbed a brace, while Greg Stewart and Bipin Singh scored a goal each for the Islanders.
Kerala Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic cut a frustrated figure while speaking to the press after the match. Asked what he thought was the difference between his team and Mumbai City, he replied:
"The first 25 minutes actually. As a team, as a player, you know when you face the best team in the league, anywhere in football, when you're facing the top teams, you know and must know that it starts from the first second.
"Tonight, for us as a team, what makes us a little bit angry and disappointed is that it took us only 25 minutes - only 25 minutes - to get into the game. When you face these kinds of teams, you must not afford that, it's unacceptable."
The Serbian tactician expressed his disappointment at the way Kerala Blasters played in the first 25 minutes of the match. He explained:
"You know that it'll be a tough game... our opponents, they have quality, individual and collective, that you have to deal with certain patterns, how to win duels and many other things in this kind of game.
"For us tonight, it was disappointing because the first 25 minutes were not to be seen. For me, as a coach, it was, again, disappointing, and then, from that fourth goal, when we conceded these four goals after individual mistakes, wrong movements, and everything, you know when you play against these top teams, these small details make a difference.
He added:
"This is how it is, especially when you play against teams at the top of the table. So, Mumbai City showed that they are the best in the league with good reason, and then, after that, we were back in the game, we wanted to create something, we wanted to keep possession, we wanted to create chances."
Although to no avail, Kerala Blasters showed a bit more aggression in the second half and had a couple of chances to reduce the deficit. Vukomanovic provided an insight into what he told his players at half-time. He revealed:
"Again, we were missing, in the end, in the final third, the final pass, good movement. At half-time, with our team talk, we just wanted to get back in the game, saying 'Listen guys, just forget the result, let's go out, play the game we want to play, play the things we want to show and I don't want to lose the second half, so I want to see character'.
"Because in football, in these kinds of games, talent doesn't matter a lot. It is about character, it is about mentality, of course, on top of your quality, but Mumbai City showed tonight that they have quality players who can solve the situation and the game in one second with individual quality.
The coach then stressed the need for the Kerala Blasters to rest well and start preparing for the final seven matches of the league. He stated:
"So, that was the case tonight. For our side, it was a deserved loss. Now, we are coming after an exhausting period with many games. Now, we have 14 days till the next game to refresh a little bit for a couple of days, sleep over, take rest, and then, prepare for our next games, it'll be tough. It'll be a tough period for us. The last seven games will be really tough."
Won't use Marko Leskovic's absence as an excuse - Kerala Blasters boss Vukomanovic
Marko Leskovic notably missed the trip to Mumbai City after picking up a slight injury in the lead-up to the match. Vukomanovic, though, refused to use the Croatian's absence as an excuse to justify his team's poor display. He explained:
"It can be used as an excuse, but as a coach, I don't look at these things like that. We have players, so whoever is not there, the other players have to replace him. This is football. There are about 25 players on our team.
"There is always talk, saying, 'If one player is not there, then what?' no! It's just a detail. I don't believe in those things. I believe that every player has to be ready whether or not he is playing."
He added:
"If he is playing, [he has] to be ready to respond to certain tasks. If he's not playing, [he has] to stay ready the moment he gets a chance to play to show his qualities.
"So, this is football. I'd never use these kinds of things like 'We were missing this one player', no! That is not my style. We have enough players to replace those guys."
Kerala Blasters will be determined to bounce back from their loss to Mumbai City when they face FC Goa in their next ISL match on January 22.
