Chennaiyin FC visit the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi to take on Kerala Blasters FC in Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 on Friday. The 2015 Hero ISL champions have picked up just five points from their previous four matches and will be looking to get a vital win against the Blasters to secure their position in the top four, besides also earning bragging rights in the southern derby.

Addressing the media at the pre-match press conference was the visitors’ head coach John Gregory and he began by talking about the hectic schedule his side have endured ahead of the Kerala clash. “Prior to this game, we had four games in 12 days and it was a really tough schedule for us,” he stated. “We had to play games and recover and then rest for a day before travelling to the next venue and playing another game. And I had not changed my team that much. I think I had literally seven players who played all the four matches and the entire 90 minutes every game. So, it has been a huge workload for them.”

Gregory, however, lauded his players for playing their part to a tee during the busy period. “I am delighted with the amount of points we managed to get from those four matches,” he said. “One of the reasons why we are where we are at the table is because we have an amazing work ethic. The ways the boys train, the way they recover, the way they go into every match. So, we have had 4-5 days of rest, which is unusual. You can rest assure that my boys are in really, really good shape and are obviously looking forward to this game tomorrow.”

Regarding opponents Kerala, the Englishman admitted that while they had a poor start to their campaign, the team have performed well under the management of David James, with their recent results being proof. “When we played them (Kerala Blasters FC) last time, they were really struggling,” Gregory recalled. “The players were struggling, and the team was struggling to get results. But then the new coach David (James) comes in. He’s obviously well-known to the Kerala fans. And he comes in with a really positive attitude.”

The 63-year-old added: “He’s come in and changed the entire team. He’s given a license to play offensively to try and win every single game. He’s just had the attitude and his team has gone for it every single match. Consequently, they have managed to put a huge number of points on the board to give them a chance. He’s changed everything in the football club. He’s done remarkably well to get Kerala into a position where they still have got a chance.”

Chennai are currently third in the table with 28 points from 16 games, but Gregory opined that staying ahead of the chasing pack in the race for a top four finish is difficult. “The hardest thing is being up front,” he remarked. “It is easier when you are coming from behind; then nothing is expected. But if somebody was to put together a few results, the teams above them would start to drop points. But this is football. That is how things pan out.  And when you are out there at the front, you are the one everybody is trying to pull back.”