Kerala Blasters FC will be looking to put an end to their long 10-match winless run in the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2018-19 when they face off against Mumbai City FC at the Mumbai Football Arena on Sunday. The match will be the calendar year's last Hero ISL fixture and Kerala will need all three points from the match if they want to keep their playoff chances alive.

At the pre-match press conference, Kerala head coach David James was present to take questions from the media. Kerala are currently languishing in the eighth spot of the table but the Englishman was still hopeful of a top-four finish. "Obviously not winning is difficult for the team. I don’t think we deserve to be on a 10-match winless run. We are still mathematically in the competition and we still believe that we can get 30 points and hopefully that should be enough to qualify for the playoffs. There will be added pressure and we have to go out for a win in every match, rather than having the option of sneaking in a draw," he said.

In the reverse fixture against Mumbai back in October, Kerala led for most of the match but had to settle for a draw owing to a Pranjal Bhumij stunner in the dying minutes. James revealed his team will look to better the result this time around. "In the last game, we were three minutes away from three points. In the end, the wonder strike undid us and it did not help our case. With the belief that we have got now, we will look at our first game against Mumbai as a target. We believe we can get something from the game," said James.

India national team head coach Stephen Constantine recently named five Kerala players in his 34-man probables squad for the AFC Asian Cup. James pointed it out as a testament to the quality of the players in his team. "I think the provisional squad for the AFC Asian Cup has boosted our confidence. To have five players from Kerala Blasters represent the squad. I think there is a bit of faith from Constantine with regards to our players. I am very proud as a head coach to have so many players going away and hopefully doing very well for India," he stated.

Asked about how he is keeping his players motivated despite the poor run of results, James replied, "I think we are realistic about what has happened. But when the players know that they have done their best and the decisions have gone against them, they are in a good place. Obviously wins will make them feel happier. When you look at the national squad and you see the likes of Sahal Abdul Samad called up, it gives everyone a boost. So that helps everybody. In Sahal, we are showing that we are doing something right."

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