"Five big steps to go" - Kerala Blasters boss Ivan Vukomanovic feeling upbeat after ISL 2022-23 win against NorthEast United

Kerala Blasters earned a 2-0 victory over NorthEast United FC in the 2022-23 Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi today (Sunday, January 29).

A brace from Dimitrios Diamantakos saw Kerala Blasters claim a comfortable 2-0 win against NorthEast United. The victory saw them edge closer to securing a playoff spot as they now sit third in the ISL table.

Diamantakos has now scored nine goals and provided three assists in the ISL for Kerala Blasters. The Greek has proved to be a great recruit after the Yellow Army lost two key players in Alvaro Vazquez and Jorge Pereyra Diaz.

Asked how Diamantakos compares to the former forwards, Kerala Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic said:

"Working with these guys is a pleasure. Even last year, with Alvaro and Jorge, it was a huge pleasure because, these guys, when they arrived for the first time in a new country like India, in the ISL, of course, there is motivation, there are new things, there is a new energy.

"For these boys, it is crucial to score goals. When they score goals, they get that confidence. They are big professionals first of all. Dimi [Diamantakos] has nice clubs on his CV."

He added:

"He experienced playing in one of the best clubs in his home country. He experienced playing in good clubs in Germany. These kinds of things bring you extra quality."

Vukomanovic explained that Kerala Blasters make it a point to scout and sign players with hunger like Diamantakos. He elucidated:

"I'm glad to have these kinds of boys last year and this because they are hungry to succeed, they are hungry to score goals. When we scout, we are looking for these kinds of profiles.

"Last year, when we were about to compose our team and decided to release all six foreigners and get new six foreigners in, of course, there were doubts, there were talks because nobody knows those players. Then, they bring something extra."

The Serbian tactician also pointed out how Kerala Blasters have the option to keep five of their six foreign players. He stated:

"We're happy that we're capable of holding onto and keeping some of them this season. Now, with Dimi, Apo [Apostolos Giannou], Victor [Mongil], [Marko] Leskovic, and [Adrian] Luna, they are all under contracts, we have the options to keep them.

"This is what it means to work consistency, building up further on, especially with new names, new youngsters, who have to grow up around these guys. This is how you build a strong unit for the upcoming periods so that you can again compete among the best."

Vukomanovic added:

"Last year, we were talking about wanting to build a team at Kerala Blasters that everybody knows wants to be among the best and in the playoffs every year. This is what we want.

"I think this season we have now equalized the amount of victories of last year. We have maybe had more defeats, but we now already have nine victories, and we want to continue."

He continued:

"Five more games to go, with Dimi, Apo, and all the other guys, they are big professionals, great human beings. They fit perfectly into the group and into our dressing room."

Vukomanovic notably decided to start Bryce Miranda and Giannou Apostolos ahead of Sahal Abdul Samad and Ivan Kaliuzhnyi in the match. Explaining the reasons behind those choices, the Kerala Blasters gaffer said:

"In the last, let's say, 15 days, we had many members of our group, speaking about players, technical staff, and medical staff, suffering and struggling with high fever, flu, and all these things.

"In the last 15 days, we had players going out of the rhythm, out of training sessions and then we had to mix and match many things in order to get the fit team for today's game."

He added:

"Personally, I also had a couple of days of high fever before the game against Mumbai City FC. When you have all these things, when you look at statistics and training sessions, you want to put fresh men, you want to put, especially in this kind of game, a squad who can be fully fit 100% to respond."

He also suggested that his team selection was influenced by the underwhelming performances of a few players in Kerala Blasters' previous games. He stated:

"It is also kind of a coaching choice, like, seeing some details and moments where you're not happy with the performances and then you pick your squad. This is it."

Vukomanovic also disclosed that Kerala Blasters decided against playing Marko Leskovic against NorthEast United despite the defender returning from his injury. He revealed:

"We knew Leskovic was maybe capable of being with the team today, but we didn't want to take that kind of risk or push him maybe early. We want to take the time because we want to get him ready later on."

He went on to heap praise on Miranda, who impressed for Kerala Blasters by claiming an assist, saying:

"With all these things, you need to mix and match, like Bryce today. He deserved the chance. He was working well. Him and Saurav [Mondal] arrived from Churchill Brothers with reason, they are two young players with quality.

"At one moment, you need and want to give them that chance, you want give them playing time because that's why they are here. I, as a coach, like to give all the players playing time, playing at home and away as well because at some point they have to feel this kind of atmosphere because playing in Kerala Blasters is something special.

"So, that was our choice for today, just giving some boys more playing time because they were efficient and good in training sessions in the previous period. Some of the them also with their previous performances were not that good. These kinds of things, they happen."

Vukomanovic also revealed that a fever kept the Kerala Blasters' first-choice goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill out of the game:

"On top of that, we lost our Gill today. Karanjit was in goal because Gill was suffering from high fever yesterday and today. These kinds of things, we have to mix and match and find a good way."

While Kerala Blasters took a two-goal lead, they struggled to finish the game off in the second half. Asked what he thought about his team's display in the second 45 minutes, Vukomanovic replied:

"There is a thing in football... when you are coming after two defeats back to back, when you know that you are playing the game against the team who is last on the table, the team who has nothing to lose, and you have a huge stake on the table, everybody says, 'Yes, it's an easy game, you'll win, you have to win'.

"There are many things than technical approach, training sessions, etc. There is the mental part of how to manage this kind of game. Last year, if you recall, we had two very difficult games against NorthEast United, we had two really difficult games against East Bengal."

He went on, saying:

"These kinds of games, if you don't score a goal quick enough, your opponents start believing more, they get power, they get motivation. The more the time passes, the more you can find yourselves in trouble, the more you have to push hard up front, the more you have to open gaps behind, and then, you can get punished."

He added:

"In the first half, we wanted to push hard, we wanted to create chances, which we did, I think we had many chances that we could have scored more goals. In the second half, the boys wanted to push more, to score the third goal and try to make the game over, and then manage that game.

"However, we were not capable of scoring that third goal even though we had some chances. Then, you are maybe entering a nervous period where you try to have fun, try to play nice things, not that efficient, losing balls in positions that are dangerous, and then, you get these counter-attacks."

Vukomanovic admitted that Kerala Blasters' lack of efficiency in the second half left him frustrated. He conceded:

"That made me a little bit frustrated because I'm more the type of coach that wants efficient thing first, get the job done and then you can have fun. These kinds of things were different.

"The players need to manage these situations, have the game under control, have the ball under control, try and open gaps, try to create chances. In the end, we are happy with the clean sheet, that's for sure, because it's been a while [since we kept one].

He continued:

"Now, we're back on the third spot. Five big steps to go, we have to be strong in every other game if we want to stay among the best."

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Vukomanovic says he is content with Kerala Blasters' full-back options

Following the injury to Sandeep Singh, Kerala Blasters only have three senior full-backs available, with two of them being over 30 years old. Asked if he is content with his options in the area, Vukomanovic said:

"The players, it doesn't matter how old they are if they are fit enough. This is also the first season after I don't know how many years that Nishu [Kumar] is in full power. The whole pre-season, the whole season, he is available. He was suffering with injuries for a long time.

"Khabra is an experienced guy, he can manage his game, Jessel as well. These guys have something special with experience that they can always bring fighting spirit into games, they know to manage games, they are important in the dressing room."

He concluded:

"Worldwide, in every other team around the world, you have these kinds of players. This is what you call making the balance in the dressing room. I'm really glad to have them since last year. They are good guys."

Kerala Blasters will now face East Bengal in Kolkata in their 16th ISL 2022-23 match on Friday, February 3.