Kerala Blasters FC are yet to register their first Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 victory, having tied all their previous three encounters playing at home. On Saturday, they travel to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa to meet hosts FC Goa in what will be their first away fixture of the season. They currently occupy the second-last position on the points table and need to up their game in front of away fans.

Present at the pre-match press conference was Kerala head coach Rene Meulensteen, who explained how his present state of mind was after Kerala’s back-to-back draws. “I am not really concerned (with the draws). But I am disappointed that we haven’t won any of them. On the other hand, we have seen progress in the three games so I’m happy with that. This is an away game, so it is different. But more than anything we need to focus on progressing as individuals and as a team,” he said.

On being asked to assess the home team, the Dutchman replied, “I have had a close look at Goa; I have been following all their ISL matches. They had a really strong start against Chennai. They have got a terrific style of play and they can hurt you easily. But we are well aware of their strengths, and we have prepared for it.”

Kerala will be missing the services of CK Vineeth on Saturday after his red card (double yellow cards) in the previous fixture. Meulensteen though sees it as “a good opportunity for the other players to step into his place and hopefully make a difference for the team”. He also shared an update on star defender Wes Brown, who is yet to make his Hero ISL debut. “I am pleased with his (Brown’s) progress. He has travelled with the team and he will be in the squad. But I don’t want to take any risks with him,” he informed.

In all the three matches Kerala has played this season, the one aspect that has grabbed eyeballs is the new position Dimitar Berbatov has been slotted in. Speaking about the Bulgarian, the 53-year old said, “We're still sort of fine tuning it (the squad). Sometimes with players of the calibre of Berbatov, you need to think a little outside the box. You want your best players on the ball. You have to realise when forwards get older, they lose a bit of their explosiveness and that sustainable speed which they had. But they still have plenty of other qualities to play in other positions and that is basically what we are trying.”

“A lot of top players will experience this when they have played at the highest level and then come and play in the ISL which is still emerging. It is important that we have realistic expectations in place, as long as the Indian players keep progressing because we want to take them to a higher level. There are a lot of young Indian players who still have a lot to learn and Berbatov knows that,” he concluded.