Indian Super League (ISL) side Kerala Blasters FC recently announced the departure of head coach Mikael Stahre following their defeat against Mohun Bagan Super Giant. The Swede, who became the club’s 12th head coach, exits after a disappointing start to the season, with the team collecting just 11 points from their 12 league games, leaving them at the bottom half of the table.

Stahre replaced Serbian Ivan Vukomanovic in the summer, who had guided the team to three consecutive playoff qualifications in the past three seasons including a final.

Despite new signings and hopes for a fresh start, their season was marred by the departure of key players and inconsistent performances.

Here is a closer look at three key issues within the team that Stahre struggled to address.

Defensive frailities

Kerala Blasters FC’s defense has been a major issue this season. Conceding more goals than they scored, the team has struggled to maintain solidity at the back. With 24 goals conceded across 10 games, they are the team with the most goals shipped in the league. They have just kept one clean sheet so far.

Individual errors have also played a significant role in the team’s downfall. The Blasters have conceded six goals directly from errors this season, the highest in the league. Goalkeeper Sachin Suresh was responsible for three such errors before his injury while Som Kumar, Pritam Kotal and Sandeep Singh have also contributed to the tally.

While Stahre emphasized error minimisation in training sessions, the mistakes persisted and cost the team valuable points.

Overdependence on foreign forwards

Blasters scored 19 goals this season, with foreign players accounting for a majority of them.

Jesus Jimenez, the team’s top scorer, contributed nine goals and consistently found himself on the scoresheet. Noah Sadaoui has had four goals, followed by Kwame Peprah, who has netted thrice and Milos Drincic has one goal to his name. Among Indian players, Freddy Lallawmawma and Rahul KP scored one goal each.

While the team has failed to score in only one match this season, the overreliance on foreign forwards for goals often saw them lose games by close margins when their forwards failed to deliver.

Poor home record

Kerala Blasters FC have traditionally been strong at home, with the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi being a fortress. Under Vukomanovic, since the 2022-23 season, the team played 21 games, winning 13 and losing only six.

However, this season has been a stark contrast, with the Blasters recording just two home wins while suffering four defeats. The away form has been equally dismal, with only one win on the road. Such a poor record at home, where the team enjoys immense fan support, has been a significant letdown and a factor in their underwhelming season.

As Kerala Blasters FC look to appoint a new head coach and start afresh, they must address these issues to rebuild and restore their reputation as one of the league’s most competitive teams.