Kerala Blasters FC will make a short trip to play defending champions, Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Thursday. The Blasters come into the southern derby on the back of yet another frustrating result that saw them lose to NorthEast United FC in stoppage time. With only seven points on board and fortune not favouring them either, time is fast running out for David James’ men to book a place in the playoffs of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2018-19.

Ahead of the derby, the Blasters coach attended his pre-match press conference and began by analysing his team’s away results. “We’ve actually had one defeat away from home. In the end, the teams we’ve lost to are the three best teams at the moment. It’s acceptable in some ways with Bengaluru FC and FC Goa because they’ve been doing this for years in their own respect. With the defeat to NorthEast, it’s frustrating because it was last minute. The home and away form in every context has been close for us and part of the learning curve, if anything. Holding onto leads has been a problem. I don’t think it is fitness. I think it’s player management, game management,” James said.

The Blasters’ opponents on Thursday are having a poor season themselves. When asked whether that makes his side’s task any easier, James laughed before reminding everyone that there were no easy games in football. “There’s nothing easy about football anywhere. I think desperate is probably the wrong word because getting desperate means you do things you normally wouldn’t do. This is the frustration if you like. We have been so close on so many occasions this season. If we get desperate, then we start doing things that are abnormal.”

“The morale in the team is very good, despite the run of results. I’m sad with regards to the fans. We got some very proud fans who want to see us winning every week. The players are just like that, they want to win every week. The results are not polarized in the sense that we’re getting battered by teams. Hopefully, what’s happened this week will give us that edge to beat Chennai tomorrow,” he added.

It’s been a case of so near, yet so far for the Blasters’ this season, leading to irritation among few members of the squad. However, the Englishman understands and sympathizes with the state of mind of his players. “I’m not aware of any frustrations that went to the press. CK (Vineeth) like all the other players will have a level of frustration at the moment because most of them had a chance to do something in the game. Then it becomes a shared responsibility. He scored two goals this season and all he wants to do is score for the team. And again, as a manager all I can do is try and keep him enthusiastic and confident so that when he comes on a football field, he makes a difference. And it will happen. But, at the moment it’s a frustrating time for us,” James remarked.

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