If there’s one club that has gone tantalizingly close without winning the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) title on more than one occasion, it is Kerala Blasters FC. The Kochi-based club boast perhaps the most passionate fans in the country, yet they collectively had to endure heartbreak twice.

The Blasters are one of the more consistent teams in ISL, but somehow manage to falter at the last hurdle. The inaugural season saw them start poorly with a couple of losses and a draw, but they regrouped and bounced back to just about clinch the last qualification berth for the semi-finals that year. After halting a comeback by Chennaiyin FC in the semi-final, they dominated proceedings against ATK in the final. They could not score though, and eventually their opponents went on to win the final with virtually the last piece of action in the match. Iain Hume was their best outfield player in 2014 with five goals and three assists.

The second season though was surprisingly below-par for the Blasters. With Hume switching to ATK, Antonio German, Chris Dagnall and Mohammed Rafi combined to net 16 times. Despite that, the team only notched up three victories and ended up at the bottom of the league table. Last year, however, saw them return to winning ways and qualify for a second final in three years. CK Vineeth, whose five goals made him the highest-scoring Indian last season was their star attraction. He was helped by the strength of Kervens Belfort and Duckens Nazon, who bagged five goals among them.

Hero ISL 2016 saw them qualify for the final after a third-place finish in the league table and a narrow win over Delhi Dynamos in the semis. They faced old foes ATK in the grand finale at Kochi and opened the scoring but conceded almost immediately. When 120 minutes could not decide a winner, penalties did. ATK missed one less spot-kick than Kerala to break their hearts for the second time.

Having said that, the Blasters have made a reputation that they will be eager to maintain in the upcoming season. They were the busiest in the off-season, making some quality signings and will surely be a force to be reckoned with in Hero ISL 2017-18.

Defence:UEFA Champions League winner with Manchester United defender Wes Brown is certainly a name that needs no introduction. The 38-year-old has won almost all trophies possible with the club, both domestically and abroad. A strong and no-nonsense defender, it will take some doing for opposition attackers to get past him. Serbian centre-back Nemanja Lakic Pesic is their other overseas defensive recruit, who comes with experience of playing in Serbia and Austria to further solidify their defence. Sandesh Jhingan is of course one of the more popular faces in the league and having recently captained his country, will be expected to guide Kerala’s backline on the pitch. Joining him will be Kerala’s local boy Rino Anto, who is more than capable of making the right-back slot his own.

Midfield:

The Kerala midfield also possesses immense depth. Young Ghanaian Courage Pekuson signed from FC Koper, one of the most successful clubs of Slovenia. However, it is the Indian contingency that gives the midfield a flattering look. Local lad CK Vineeth has showcased his ability time and again with important goals and assists in pressure situations. The pacey winger will be complemented by the nimble-footed Jackichand Singh, another one of the deadliest wide-men in the country at present. Central midfielder Milan Singh is of the same age as Jackichand and will be looking to build on his performances for Delhi Dynamos FC last season, when he scored twice. Fellow midfielder Siam Hanghal may not be a prolific scorer, but has played a key role for Bengaluru FC in the Hero I-League. A strong player, he can maintain a balance between attack and defence. Arata Izumi is another individual who’ll add more creativity in the centre of the park. The 35-year-old had a splendid season with ATK in 2015, where he was at his free-scoring best. He lost a bit of touch with FC Pune City last year and will be hoping to return to his best again.

Attack:If Kerala’s midfield looks impressive, then their attack force – at least on paper, anyway – is even better, if not one of the best in the league. Hero ISL’s all-time leading scorer Iain Hume makes a return to his first ISL club hoping to bring his team that elusive title which he lifted with ATK last year. Joining him is another former Manchester United legend, who is considered one of Bulgaria’s finest, Dimitar Berbatov. The prospect of the him pairing up with Hume up front is a mouth-watering one to say the least and one which is certain to also strike fear into the heart of opposition defences. Kerala have also signed Dutchman Mark Sifenos to inject pace and a bit of youth into the strike-force.

The coach:

The man responsible for signings like Brown and Berbatov is none other than Kerala Blasters’ head coach and former Manchester United youth and first-team coach Rene Meulensteen. After working under Sir Alex Ferguson for more than a decade, he had stints with Fulham and Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala. One of the sharpest brains in terms of football in the league, his addition to Kerala’s management makes the Blasters a very lethal unit indeed.

Player to watch out for:While most of the foreign recruits are notable ones, no one has set the league alight like Iain Hume has done in the past. The Canadian has been prolific since the league’s inception and has ended up as his side’s highest-scorer in each of the first three seasons. Also, capable of turning provider, it’ll be interesting to see how his understanding up front with Berbatov develops.

Pre-season form:Kerala were in Spain for their pre-season and it’s fair to say that they have warmed up well on the back of some positive results against Spanish sides:

On paper, Kerala Blasters have one of the most lethal units. But then again, they will have to translate that on to the pitch with consistent performances, something that will be difficult given the longer format of the league this year. One of the favourites this season and backed by raucous supporters, the Blasters look primed for another action-packed campaign.

They kick-start their 2017-18 ISL campaign at home against ATK on November 17 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.

Squad:

Goalkeepers:Paul Rachubka, Sandip Nandy, Subhasish Roy Chowdhury

Defenders: Lalruatthara, Lalthakima, Nemanja Lakic-Pesic, Rino Anto, Samuel Shadap, Sandesh Jhingan, Soraisam Pritam Kumar Singh, Wes Brown

Midfielders: Ajith Sivan, Arata Izumi, CK Vineeth, Courage Pekuson, Jackichand Singh, Loken Moirangthem Meitei, Milan Singh Ongnam, Prasanth Karuthadathkuni, Siam Hanghal

Forwards:Dimitar Berbatov, Iain Hume, Karan Sawhney, Mark Sifenos

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Kerala Blasters FC 2017-2018