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What's the story?
Kerala Blasters endured a nightmare today as they were soundly beaten by FC Goa. At the end of what appeared like a torturous 90 minutes, the scoreline read 5-2 in Goa's favour. From their first four matches, Kerala have drawn three and lost one.
Captain Sandesh Jhingan took the fall for the team's poor performance today. In his official Twitter handle, he posted an emotional apology for his side's shambolic defeat.
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In case you didn't know
With three points from four games, Kerala Blasters are currently 8th in the league standings. Their only comfort is that the season is long and they are ahead of the Delhi Dynamos and defending champions Atletico de Kolkata. Meanwhile, Goa hog the top spot with nine points. The likes of Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC also have nine points.
The heart of the matter
Jhingan turned in a poor performance on the night, as he was often caught out of position. His communication with defensive partner Nemanja Lakic-Pesic was also poor, leading to further problems at the back.
The Kerala Blasters captain apologised to the fans on Twitter after this display, saying that the side will bounce back from this.
Also Read: ISL 2017: FC Goa vs Kerala Blasters FC - 5 Talking Points
The Kerala Blasters fans have supported their side with great vigour ever since the inception of the league. They have even made it to different places across the country, in order to support their side. Hence, it is heartening to see Jhingan post such an apology to the fans after playing poorly.
What's next?
The Blasters will next face NorthEast United FC on the 15th of December. Goa will square off against Delhi Dynamos the following day.
Author's take
While Kerala Blasters' performance was quite poor, losing is part of the game. Meulensteen took a few positives that players like Jackichand Singh are playing well and that the season is still long enough to turn around in their favour. Kerala have a lot of work ahead if they are to rescue themselves from this slump.
