Hyderabad FC’s next encounter in Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2019-20 will be against Kerala Blasters FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Sunday. With just one win from 10, Phil Brown’s men are rooted at the bottom of the table, although their recent performances suggest they’ve been rather unlucky.

Brown pointed to that fact while speaking at his pre-match press conference and said, “We out passed, out played and had more possession than Mumbai (in the last match). Having said that, Mumbai had two or three better chances in the first half than we did. After we got our first goal, we had five or six opportunities to get away with something from the game. I thought there were a lot of positives from the game, but the opposition scored more goals than us.”

“And we still haven’t got the clean sheet that we are working towards. So, that really as a coach is the only negative that I was looking at after the game. That’s the most important part for me. The most important part for me is not conceding. We have a strike force that is capable of scoring goals. The clean sheet mentality is important and we haven’t got that at this moment in time. Again, it’s something that we have been working towards,” Brown added.

When asked about both Hyderabad and Kerala’s style of play, the Englishman commented, “I think the mentality of my team is on the front foot, with and without the ball. In possession, I think we are becoming more creative and positive. Out of possession, we need to be in the face of the opposition. We know that Kerala and their coach (Eelco Schattorie) wants to play football. I think it will be a good game of football. The better tactician will win the game, whether that’s pressing from the front or whether it’s dropping off.”

Finally, the 60-year-old Hyderabad boss revealed his plans for the January transfer window. “We are looking long and hard at the transfer window and the players available. You need somebody that’s going to come in and hit the ground running. This window is important. There are four or possibly five games in January.”

“We haven’t given up hopes with regards to this season. Transfer windows are always a vital tool in football. With 15 points to play for in January and still 24 points to play for in the Hero ISL, I don’t think any player in my team has given up hope. If we go to Kerala and try and get a clean sheet, it’s possible that our season can still go on and we can carry a bit of pride into the next season,” Brown maintained.

Striker Bobo, meanwhile, claimed that his form has improved significantly ever since he grasped his team’s style of play. “Compared to the beginning of the season, now I feel much better. I understand how we play, that’s why I have started scoring goals and helping the team,” he said.

Read the Match Preview here.