As Jamshedpur FC approach the second half of the ongoing seventh season of Indian Super League (ISL), coach Owen Coyle will be pleased with the momentum his team has, heading into the new year, as they prepare to face Kerala Blasters at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Sunday.
Jamshedpur is placed fifth on the ISL table with 13 points after nine games and a victory against Kerala could push them to the third spot. They have lost just two matches -- the second-lowest tally in the league.
No doubt, the 1-0 victory over playoff contenders Bengaluru would have boosted their morale. But one thing that Coyle wants is that his side shouldn't get carried away at this stage of the season.
"When you win, the morale is always high but equally (after) the loss we suffered against Goa...we picked each other up and worked very hard to get a smile on our faces and go again, which we did against Bengaluru," he said in an ISL release.
"That's certainly the quality we have at this club. We never get too high when we win or low when we lose. We look for the balance, understanding, and (ways) to improve," Coyle added.
Jamshedpur will certainly fancy the three points against a struggling Kerala, who come into this game after a demoralising defeat to Odisha FC. The results may have not gone Kerala's way but Coyle has been watching his opponents closely.
"If you look at Kerala's games, they have been very unlucky. The other night, they lost 4-2 (to Odisha) but Kerala could have easily scored 5-6 goals," said Coyle.
"When teams have had disappointments this way, they can be very dangerous, so we have to make sure we're ready for that," he added.
For Kerala, it will be a chance to restore pride with coach Vicuna believing his side is still in contention for the playoffs.
Vicuna found success at Bagan with an attacking and possession-based brand of football but has found it tough to get results with an injury-marred Kerala side, who have claimed just one win. However, the Spard refused to attribute Blasters' poor results to his style.
"It is not a question of style. The team (I had at Mohun Bagan) is different, the players are different. We started well this season and now we are making changes, we are not playing the same as we did at the beginning," said Vicuna.
"It is not a question of being stubborn with the style, because we are changing things every game, we are approaching every match differently since we are playing different teams. We are focusing on our game as well as the style of our opponents," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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