Wes Brown, the Kerala Blasters’ big star at the back, is now fit and raring to go. After missing the team’s first two games, the former Manchester United defender is ready for the Blasters’ next ISL home game, against Mumbai City FC on Sunday.
"I’m fully fit now and I’ve been training all week. Obviously, I’m now looking to be more involved in the game,” said the former England international at the Marriott here on Friday.
Despite having exciting attacking stars like Dimitar Berbatov, Iain Hume and CK Vineeth, the Kochi side is yet to score a goal or win a match this season, having drawn its last two matches goalless, but the 38-year-old felt that the team has been improving with every game.
“It’s a new challenge for our players, the opening game was difficult but we were a lot better in the second. We’ve drawn two, now we need to start scoring goals and winning games,” said Brown.
“The game on Sunday is at home and will be to our advantage, we know what the crowd is like, and if we can do what we have been doing in training, we can win.”
Meanwhile Sandesh Jhingan, the Blasters captain, said the team’s current situation should not be ringing alarm bells.
“Of course we want to win but I’m not worried at all, it’s just a matter of time,” said the defender.
“In football, you always look forward to the first point, the first clean sheet, we got our first points, the first clean sheets; the first goal and first win will come soon.
"The quality is there, we are playing good football, am happy about that. The defence is doing good and when Wes comes back, it will be stronger.”
But with the backline appearing settled, where will the Blasters’ coach Rene Meulensteen put Brown? Will he find a place in the midfield where things are not so stable?
“I don’t think I’d be playing in the midfield any time soon. We’ve got people there who are doing their job to a high standard,” said the Englishman.
Brown said a glance at the ISL results this season showed that most teams were letting in goals.
“Most teams are letting in goals, the same with Mumbai, and this shows that we can score against them. I’m sure, we will sit down and see how we are going to do that.”
Were the goalless games adding to the pressure on stars like Iain Hume, the ISL’s all-time top-scorer?
“It’s not pressure, Hume is the ISL’s top-scorer and when you see him in training, you can see why he has got that to his name,” said Brown.
“He is getting confident, learning to play each and every ball and he has been doing that for a good part of two months. It will all come together on his day and we will start scoring goals.”
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