Kerala Blasters FC will be hoping to reap greater rewards from their next Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2018-19 fixture against a beleaguered FC Pune City at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Friday. The Blasters have managed to pick up nine points this campaign and are eight points adrift of the final playoff spot.

Their boss, David James spoke to the media in his pre-match press conference and bemoaned his team’s failure to get a win in their last outing against Jamshedpur FC. “It was a very good performance. I watched it again on video and it was a very good performance. It was another game that we haven’t won after a great performance. The spirit in the team is very good, very positive after that. But again, there is a bit of frustration because of the decisions that went against us,” he said.

James also spoke about the confidence in the camp after a series of late setbacks. “I don’t think that confidence has been a problem. The team go into every game with the intention and the confidence that they can do something. When you are playing as well as we did against a good footballing side like Jamshedpur, and you still don’t come away with a win and it’s neither your fault nor the opposition’s fault, then you can’t look at the opposition as an easier or a tougher game because external factors have been having a final say,” the Englishman insisted.

The Blasters coach concluded his pre-match press conference by keeping his cards close to his chest when asked if Sandesh Jhingan’s shift to right-back was a temporary or permanent measure. “Sandesh’s performance when he came on against Chennai, at right-wingback was shades of 2014 when he played in that position quite a lot. (He is) very comfortable in that position and he gave us an element we have been missing little bit because of his experience and the fact that he’s played there before. So, yes, if it helps us to get into positions to win games of football, Sandesh will be put in the best position that we can put him in. So, quite possibly as a right-back,” James said.

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