Kerala Blasters FC will go into the 2024-25 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) after recording the most consistent period of the club in the league during former head coach Ivan Vukomanovic’s three-year tenure.
In his first year, Vukomanovic led the Blasters to the ISL final, where they lost to Hyderabad FC on penalties. The following seasons, the side competed in the playoff games, infamously walking off the pitch against Bengaluru FC in 2022-23, before being edged by Odisha FC 2-1 in his final year.
All eyes have now shifted to the new head coach Mikael Stahre, who has big shoes to fill as he takes charge of a rejigged squad that is without key players from last season.
The most notable of those absentee is the club’s all-time goalscorer Dimitrios Diamantakos, who joined East Bengal on a two-year deal. Adding to the Blasters’ woes, the Kolkata giant also secured the services of defensive midfielder Jeakson Singh and left-back Nishu Kumar.
From the international roster, Daisuke Sakai, Fedor Cernych and Marko Leskovic joined the list of departures.
However, the men in yellow have been active during the transfer window, signing French centre-back Alexandre Coeff, Spanish striker Jesus Jimenez, and most notably, Moroccan forward, Noah Sadaoui from FC Goa.
The 30-year-old Sadaoui has an exceptional 33 G/A in 40 games in the ISL and proved his worth during the Durand Cup 2024, where he claimed the Golden Boot even after the Blasters bowed out in the quarterfinal stage.
The Durand Cup exit was a reality check for the Kochi-based club, which lost to Bengaluru in the quarters, even after fielding one of its strongest sides that comprised talisman Adrian Luna and striker Kwame Peprah, both of whom were sidelined due to injury in the previous season.
Mikael Stahre looking to do his own thing
Ahead of the upcoming ISL season, Stahre said during a press conference that despite the pressure of being the successor of the club’s most successful coach, he is ready to “bring energy to the table”.
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Stahre began his managerial career with youth teams in Sweden and worked his way up the ranks, eventually leading top-tier side AIK to three trophies in the 2009-10 season.
He went on to manage clubs in Greece, China, USA, Norway and Thailand before accepting the Blasters job.
In the Durand Cup, Stahre used a 4-3-3 attacking formation which relied on dominance in central midfield. Stahre entrusted 22-year-old Freddy Lallawmawma to control play and feed passes to the attacking midfielders Luna and Danish Farooq, who in turn set up the forward line.
The front three of Noah, Peprah and Mohammed Aimen scored a combined 12 goals out of the 16 in the Durand Cup and will look to fire right from its season opener against Punjab at home.
In defence, Stahre will hope that Frenchman Coeff can slot into the gap left by Leskovic, while also competing for a spot in the starting 11 against Milos Drincic. The Swede will also have experienced Indian defenders Pritam Kotal, Prabir Das and Hormipam Ruivah at his disposal.
Expected finish - Semifinal
After its high-scoring and ruthless performances in the Durand Cup, it is safe to assume that Kerala Blasters will go into matchday one, guns blazing. If the Blasters manage to kick off their campaign the same way it did in the previous season, Stahre and his men will fancy their chances of taking points against top teams in the league.
However, Stahre will have to be wary of injury concerns in the team, which toppled the momentum midway through last season. He will have to strike a balance in playing time between the seniors and youngsters like Vibin Mohanan and Mohammed Azhar to ensure that his side stays in contention for a first-ever title.
Players to watch out for
Adrian Luna
Uruguayan Adrian Luna arrived in India in 2021 and has played 48 times for Kerala Blasters in the ISL, scoring 12 and assisting 17 during that time. After missing more than half of last season due to injury, Luna looks fitter and hungrier than ever, playing the full ninety minutes in KBFC’s last three matches in the Durand Cup.
Jesus Jimenez
Late signing Jesus Jimenez is yet to feature in a KBFC shirt but his records will give the fans hope that he will fit in as a suitable replacement for Diamantakos.
Jimenez’s most prolific goal-scoring period came during his time with Polish first-division side Gornik Zabrze, where he made 134 appearances, scored 43 goals, and recorded 25 assists across all competitions (Ekstraklasa, Polish Cup, and Europa League).
The six-foot Spaniard has played a total of 237 matches across various leagues in the world, finding the back of the net 66 times while assisting 31 during this period.
With the likes of Sadaoui and Peprah already firing in the squad, Jimenez’s experience, combined with his goal-scoring prowess will add an extra attacking option for Stahre in the upcoming season.
Transfer window rating – 7/10
Despite allowing East Bengal to snatch away last season’s Golden Boot winner Diamantakos, KBFC has assembled a capable attacking unit.
Sadaoui remains the key signing of the season owing to his experience in the league, while Spaniard Jimenez is a hopeful replacement for a goalscorer like Diamantakos.
However, the club has not signed anyone to fill the gap left by long-standing servant Jeakson in the middle of the pitch but has decided to entrust Lallawmawma with the duty.
Additionally, new signings R Lalthanmawia and Likmabam Rakesh have proven their mettle in the I-League but it remains to be seen if Stahre can make them adapt quickly to the top tier.
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