Kerala Blasters FC travel to the JRD Tata Sports Complex to take on Jamshedpur FC in Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 on Wednesday. The two-time Hero ISL finalists are so far unbeaten under the tenure of their former player David James and come off the back of two consecutive away victories. Prior to the match, the Englishman spoke to the media and admitted that even though the last few matches were draining, he was looking forward to a good contest against Kerala.

“The two wins were vital,” James stated. “The second game was very tough, physically and mentally. 1 – 0 is my favourite score-line because you are always on edge. However, it can drain you. Having said that, yes confidence is in the team at the moment. And yes, we are looking forward to the match. As I said before, with the ISL, there is a tendency for the teams to change. It’s very difficult to predict what you are going to get. But we expect an energetic match.”

James explained the secret behind what looks like a transformed Kerala side ever since he took over as head coach. “I took over a side that I did not think should have been in the position that they were for the quality of the players they got,” the 47-year-old said. “I think the team needed some confidence. They have very good players and they showed what they can do in the last two and a half games. There is no magic to it. We got organized, we got behind the team to get it ready. It’s not just myself. I’m just the coach, there are other coaches as well, assistants, doctors; everyone was involved and are thankfully 100% committed to giving the players the best chance of winning football games. And they (the players) are dedicated to doing that (winning) as well, which is always good.”

The former England international also offered his support to the Hero ISL referees, who have been under a lot of scrutiny lately. “I think the topic is very hot at the moment back in the UK. There is a cry out for consistency in referees which I think is wrong because they are expecting all the referees to be the same, which I think has taken away the human element. But we are only four seasons into the ISL. And if we expect the referees to be of the standard of the Premier League, it is asking too much. It will improve,” James said.

He continued: “There are some good refereeing decisions going on, so it is not a case of bad referees making bad decisions all the time. So as long as the referees are consistent with themselves, then managers, players and commentators will know what to expect in each game. Then it’s up to the governing body to have a look at the appointment of referees in future.”

Regarding using technology for decision-making, James made it clear that he was against it. “It’s (video referral) something I hate,” he said. “Goal-line technology is fair enough. We work for 90 minutes to try and score goals and if it crosses the line it should be a goal. But with the video review system, no chance. Because you are just asking for more indecision and more time taken. I think for fans as well, it’s nice to debate. That’s what football is all about; it’s about debating. Having opinions rather than a fourth eye or a video camera making the decision for you.”