Under the supervision of head coach Steve Coppell, Kerala Blasters FC will be looking for a much-improved performance in the upcoming third season of the Hero Indian Super League. The Blasters confirmed the appointment of the former Manchester United winger in June earlier this year hoping to improve drastically on their bottom-place finish last season.

Coppell recently spoke to indiansuperleague.com and shared his thoughts on the way he wants his team to play, why he chose the challenge of managing in India and the idea behind the marquee signing of Northern Ireland’s Aaron Hughes, among other topics. The 61-year-old Englishman explained the rationale behind bringing Hughes on board.

“Aaron Hughes just played in the European Championships, so I know he’s going to bring a level of fitness and performance, which is vital for us. I was looking at marquee players and the effect that marquee players have had at various clubs over the previous two years. The one thing I wanted was someone who is physically fit and able to contribute for the whole season. You never know with injuries because they might just come but I know that Aaron is excited by the challenge and he is really looking forward to seeing what the Indian Super League is all about and he is very determined to be a huge part of anything we achieve this year,” Coppell said.

Coppell, who has managed English sides like Crystal Place, Manchester City and Reading in the past, revealed his joy knew no bounds when the Blasters job was offered to him. “After I finished managing in England, I was looking for a challenge in various places around the world and I must admit, nothing really excited me the way coming to the Indian Super League did. I saw it last year, I was intrigued by the format. Very, very intense over a short period of time with a collection of players being brought together from all parts of the world as well as India. So the whole ISL concept I found to be fascinating and was delighted when Kerala came and gave me that chance. It’s a fulfilment of a challenge that I’ve looked at from afar and thought that it would be great to be involved,” Coppell said.

Coppell also admitted that while he would love to play with width, he needed to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the players at his disposal. “The philosophy is determined by the players. I think it’s pointless having one philosophy because wherever you go, you might not have the players capable of fulfilling that philosophy. So I think the role of a manager or a coach is to look at the squad of players and then decide a style of play and instigate a style of play that brings out the best of the majority of the players within the squad.

“Inevitably sometimes, some players are sacrificed along the way, they just don’t fit into the style that suits the most and that’s just unfortunate but here you have an opportunity to try and mould a squad of players. You’re signing players as you go forward so you have to have imagination and a vision. I think consistently all my teams have been attacking with a fair amount of width in their play so that’s what I’d like here. Ideally, I would like two flying wide players and hard-working ethics within the team as much as the climates will allow.”

When asked about the impact made by the Hero ISL since its inception in 2014, Coppell was quick to stress the importance of the influx of top foreign talent. “Well, I think the Indian Super League opens the door to the rest of the world. All of a sudden, players from around the world are coming in and just showing the Indian public and the Indian players the different style of football, the different abilities required to be successful. The Indian players are now rubbing shoulders with some of the top players from the world and that could only be a benefit. I think going forward that this contact has to be more prolonged but I’m sure that is something the authorities are looking at already,” he said.

Coppell also made it clear that he had no particular goal in mind and taking one game at time would be his modus operandi. “Well you talked about philosophy before and my overriding philosophy is always to try and win the next game. I’ve found that is the best way to confront the challenges ahead. I think if you project forward and look where we’re going to be in December then it’s just a waste of time and a waste of thought. I know we’re going to be playing early in October and the focus during pre-season is to get everybody as well prepared as possible. Not only to be successful in that game but to be fit enough to give it their best in the season ahead,” he said.

Coppell also spoke about the importance of getting the right personnel in the side and how team cohesion will play as massive role for whichever club ultimately emerges victorious. “Recruitment is critical. I think in any walk of life, the quality of the personnel that work for you is a massive, massive part of any kind of success.You’re not only looking for good players, you’re looking for players who are committed. The chemistry within the dressing room is going to be a huge factor for any team that is going to be successful this year. So, over the next six weeks we will be determined to have a team spirit, a team ethic that will keep us tied together for the 14 games in the regular season.”

Coppell also made an impassioned appeal to the supporters of Kerala Blasters FC. “I think any coach would tell you that if you have passionate fans, then it can almost be like a point-start in every game. When home players are tired and all of a sudden the crowd makes huge amounts of noise, it really does inspire them and demands of them that they give more than they can. You know, beyond 100%. So to all the supporters I would say, ‘keep coming, keep making as much noise as possible and know that you have an effect on the results and performances this season’,” he concluded.