Runners of the 1st season of Indian
Super League (Football) - 2014. The team which is Owned and managed by
The Legend of Cricket, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar the Kerala Blasters FC.
We Congratulate the team and we wish the Kerala Blasters to be the Winner of upcoming 2 season of ISL-2015.
Blasters went into the first season of the ISL with former England international David James as their marquee signing cum head coach with Iain Hume and Michael Chopra the other prominent foreigners in the squad.
They had a tough start to the league with five straight away games of which they could accumulate only four points. The following five games saw them gain 11 points and a reputation for having one of the meanest defences in the league marshalled by Cedric Hengbart and Sandesh Jhingan from Chandigarh.
Successive defeats against FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC and a stalemate with NorthEast United left the Blasters requiring an outright win in their last league encounter against FC Pune City at Kochi. An Iain Hume free-kick saw them keep Pune at bay and qualify for the semi-finals.
MANAGER :-
PETER TAYLOR :-
Blasters have roped in former England international and Under-21 & Under-20 head coach Peter Taylor as manager for the 2015 ISL season. Taylor who played for Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace as a winger is a proven customer as a coach, having managed numerous clubs including Leicester City in the Premier League.
He has also managed Bahrain and England (albeit for one game as a caretaker manager). Taylor had this to say after his appointment: “I'm personally impressed with the support that Kerala Blasters have received in the inaugural edition. Kerala has a strong legacy in Indian football and I am looking forward to working with the team and share the passion for football with the fans."
STRENGTHS :-
The Blasters only conceded 11 goals in 14 games in the group stage which formed the bedrock of their charge to the final and it will be no different this time around. Their defence looks the most settled area of the squad with Jhingan, Gurwinder Singh, Saumik Dey retained and a stalwart in Marchena brought in along with shrewd buys like Ramage and Perone who have Premier League experience.
It will be tough to score against them with fine holding midfielders like Mehtab Hossain, Joao Coimbra and Peter Carvalho providing cover. Trveor Morgan being the assistant manager of the side is certainly an asset given his knowledge of Indian football and conditions.
Do not concede a free-kick against Blasters this season as Marchena is an expert from set-pieces. It is learnt reliably that the Spaniads spends at least 20 minutes each day after the training sessions to practice free-kicks and scored a couple in their practice games.
WEAKNESS :-
Attack was often their Achilles Heel last season with Hume rescuing the team on several occasions. With the English striker joining Atletico de Kolkata, the Blasters are with an entirely new frontline devoid of their star man from last season. It will be interesting to see if the new boys can click and find goals upfront. They were the only side to conduct their pre-season training in India. Whether it comes back to haunt them remains to be seen.
KEY PLAYERS :-
Carlos Machena :
Carlos Marchena’s pedigree is unquestionable. The former Valencia and Villarreal defender is also a World Cup, European Championship and La Liga winner. He will be the player Peter Taylor will look to marshal and organise the defence. His experience will benefit the young Indian players and will calm the team down in pressure situations.
Sandesh Jhingan :
Sandesh Jhingan was an unknown quantity till he burst into the collective conscience of the Indian football fraternity with stellar performances last season, which won him the ISL Emerging Player of the Season and AIFF Emerging Player of the Year 2014 awards.
The 22-year-old was also handed a call up to the national team and the Blasters will hope their young defender can repeat his performances.
Full Squad :-
Goalkeepers: Sandip Nandy, Stephen Bywater, Shilton Paul.
Defenders: Saumik Dey, Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke, Carlos Marchena, Peter Ramage, Bruno Perone, Gurwinder Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Marcus Williams.
Midfielders: Ishfaq Ahmed, Peter Carvalho, Joao Coimbra, Antonio German, Mehtab Hossain, Cavin Lobo, Josue Currais Prieto, Victor “Pulga” Forcada, Shankar Sampingiraj, C K Vineeth.
Forwards: Chris Dagnall, Mohammed Rafi, Manandeep Singh, Sanchez Watt.
We Congratulate the team and we wish the Kerala Blasters to be the Winner of upcoming 2 season of ISL-2015.
Blasters went into the first season of the ISL with former England international David James as their marquee signing cum head coach with Iain Hume and Michael Chopra the other prominent foreigners in the squad.
They had a tough start to the league with five straight away games of which they could accumulate only four points. The following five games saw them gain 11 points and a reputation for having one of the meanest defences in the league marshalled by Cedric Hengbart and Sandesh Jhingan from Chandigarh.
Successive defeats against FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC and a stalemate with NorthEast United left the Blasters requiring an outright win in their last league encounter against FC Pune City at Kochi. An Iain Hume free-kick saw them keep Pune at bay and qualify for the semi-finals.
MANAGER :-
PETER TAYLOR :-
Blasters have roped in former England international and Under-21 & Under-20 head coach Peter Taylor as manager for the 2015 ISL season. Taylor who played for Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace as a winger is a proven customer as a coach, having managed numerous clubs including Leicester City in the Premier League.
He has also managed Bahrain and England (albeit for one game as a caretaker manager). Taylor had this to say after his appointment: “I'm personally impressed with the support that Kerala Blasters have received in the inaugural edition. Kerala has a strong legacy in Indian football and I am looking forward to working with the team and share the passion for football with the fans."
STRENGTHS :-
The Blasters only conceded 11 goals in 14 games in the group stage which formed the bedrock of their charge to the final and it will be no different this time around. Their defence looks the most settled area of the squad with Jhingan, Gurwinder Singh, Saumik Dey retained and a stalwart in Marchena brought in along with shrewd buys like Ramage and Perone who have Premier League experience.
It will be tough to score against them with fine holding midfielders like Mehtab Hossain, Joao Coimbra and Peter Carvalho providing cover. Trveor Morgan being the assistant manager of the side is certainly an asset given his knowledge of Indian football and conditions.
Do not concede a free-kick against Blasters this season as Marchena is an expert from set-pieces. It is learnt reliably that the Spaniads spends at least 20 minutes each day after the training sessions to practice free-kicks and scored a couple in their practice games.
WEAKNESS :-
Attack was often their Achilles Heel last season with Hume rescuing the team on several occasions. With the English striker joining Atletico de Kolkata, the Blasters are with an entirely new frontline devoid of their star man from last season. It will be interesting to see if the new boys can click and find goals upfront. They were the only side to conduct their pre-season training in India. Whether it comes back to haunt them remains to be seen.
KEY PLAYERS :-
Carlos Machena :
Carlos Marchena’s pedigree is unquestionable. The former Valencia and Villarreal defender is also a World Cup, European Championship and La Liga winner. He will be the player Peter Taylor will look to marshal and organise the defence. His experience will benefit the young Indian players and will calm the team down in pressure situations.
Sandesh Jhingan :
Sandesh Jhingan was an unknown quantity till he burst into the collective conscience of the Indian football fraternity with stellar performances last season, which won him the ISL Emerging Player of the Season and AIFF Emerging Player of the Year 2014 awards.
The 22-year-old was also handed a call up to the national team and the Blasters will hope their young defender can repeat his performances.
Full Squad :-
Goalkeepers: Sandip Nandy, Stephen Bywater, Shilton Paul.
Defenders: Saumik Dey, Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke, Carlos Marchena, Peter Ramage, Bruno Perone, Gurwinder Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Marcus Williams.
Midfielders: Ishfaq Ahmed, Peter Carvalho, Joao Coimbra, Antonio German, Mehtab Hossain, Cavin Lobo, Josue Currais Prieto, Victor “Pulga” Forcada, Shankar Sampingiraj, C K Vineeth.
Forwards: Chris Dagnall, Mohammed Rafi, Manandeep Singh, Sanchez Watt.
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