"Just like I said, I like to attack"- Kerala Blasters FC head coach Ivan Vukomanovic ahead of the NorthEast United FC encounter

The season-opener for the eighth edition of the Indian Super League saw Kerala Blasters FC take on ATK Mohun Bagan. The tides went in favor of the latter as Kerala Blasters FC crashed to a 4-2 defeat against their opponents in the first match of the season.

The Tuskers coach Ivan Vukomanovic had a taste of the ISL in the opening encounter and now believes he has an understanding of how to proceed further with his plans.

The Kerala Blasters FC head coach addressed the media through a virtual press conference ahead of his side's next match. It was pointed out that the side had a high backline against ATK Mohun Bagan which may have worked against them. On this, the Blasters' boss emphasized his footballing philosophy and how he would love for his side to express themselves based on that.

"Like I just said, I like to attack. So the way of playing football, you know, in every game there are moments where you have to defend and there are moments where you have to attack. So you can come out with a game plan and you never know how the game will evolve."

Ivan Vukomanovic reflected on the previous fixture and praised the boys for putting up a dominant performance despite losing out 3 points. He spoke about how the two goals scored by Kerala Blasters FC were well set up and that his side should continue to exercise these methods to go further and further.

"The toughness we faced something we expected. I think we played a good game. We controlled most of the game. The goals we scored were very well played. I think that even seeing that kind of game, the mistakes after which we conceded goals, we have to try and avoid those moments."

Check out who is currently the top scorer in ISL 2021 here.

He added that his Kerala Blasters FC side could control the game better if they were able to see past the mistakes that were made in the first game and control the situations that led to them.

"If we controlled those moments of the game better, we can proceed further with our playing style having more control on the game. That's the way I like to play. That's the way I like to think about football because I like to attack and then the intensity of the attack changes and of course controlling these kind of mistakes."

Kerala Blasters FC star Adrian Luna sheds light on his experience in the ISL so far

Speaking ahead of the second match alongside head coach Ivan Vukomanovic, Kerala Blaster FC attacking midfielder Adrian Luna expressed his opinion on the difference he felt playing in the ISL.

"I think the leagues are very similar. The A-League is a more physical one. But mostly the games are transitional."

Kerala Blasters FC head coach Ivan Vukomanovic also stressed how the young players in the squad displayed confidence ahead of their first game and that he will continue to put his faith in their abilities. He believes that making mistakes and facing tougher opponents in real-life situations is what develops talented individuals.