If you haven’t read the first part, please click here and read it first.
Hype And Controversies
“The 2017-2018 season started after the player draft, from which Blasters secured the services of Rino Anto, Milan Singh, Jackichand Singh, Arata Izumi, and Subhashish Roy. This season also saw the induction of Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC into the ISL, and ISL got a spot in the continental competitions. Even before the commencement of the season, West Block Blues and Manjappada developed a rivalry, thanks to a misunderstanding.”
“The hopes of loyal yellow fans were sky-high when the management signed renowned players like Berbatov and Wes Brown. Jamshedpur FC secured the services of Steve Coppel and instead, KBFC brought Rene Meulensteen as the helm of the affairs. The fan-favorite Iain Hume rejoined the Blasters and on paper, the team looked like a team to watch out for. For the first time in ISL, Admiral signed the deal with KBFC as kit partners and Blasters released their first-ever away kit.”
“The first three matches ended as boring draws and more than the results, it was the gameplay that irritated the fans. As fans of Brazil and Argentina, the Keralites always wish to see free-flowing football, however, what they saw at Kochi was boring long balls and missed passes. The home defeat against Bengaluru FC was the final nail on the coffin which triggered the management to sack Rene. After the sacking, Rene gave some explosive interviews in which he blamed Sandesh Jhingan for his lack of professionalism. Also, the mid-season transfer of Sifneos.”
“David James came as the interim coach and to be honest, the men in yellow did perform well under him. Iain Hume scored the first-ever hattrick by a KBFC player by scoring three against Delhi Dynamos. Out of the eleven matches played under him, KBFC secured 5 wins and 3 draws. The team finished at a respectable sixth position in the league. Lalruatthara won the Emerging Player of the League award, credit to his fantastic season as the left-back. Nevertheless, the team was knocked off from the Super Cup by the I-league side NEROCA FC.”
The cherry on top of this disastrous season was the Instagram story posted by Berbatov on his return; “Chip the ball to the strikers, chest, and we take it from there/WTF/Who Plays like this?”.
The Ultimate Disaster
“Out of the frying pan and into the fire, this is how we can summarize this season. KBFC extended David James for another three years hoping that there would be sustainability. Many fans flagged this decision soon after the announcement was made as a major faction of the fan base didn’t like his gameplay. Players like Rino Anto, Jackichand, Siam Hanghal, etc. left the team for greener pastures. Nemanja Lakic Pesic stayed from the previous season and Anas Edathodika joined the team to boost the defense. Jithin MS became Kerala’s first football player to sign for a club receiving a transfer fee when he signed for Blasters from FC Kerala.”
“The season started with a bang with a win over ATK FC at Kolkata with Slaviša Stojanović and Matej Poplatnik finding the back of the net. However, then the downfall started, and thereafter, KBFC won only one more match in that season. The gameplay was awful and many of the players couldn’t rise to their potential. The foreign contingent was mediocre and Anas Edathodika was a shadow of what he was. David James was sacked mid-season and Nelo Viganda was brought in as a stopgap solution. C. K Vineeth’s relationship with the fans took an uneasy turn during this season when he received cyber attacks (as claimed by him) from a section of fans due to his poor form. He and Halicharan Narzary were later loaned out to Chennaiyin FC.”
“Was there any good memory? Yes, the rise of Sahal Abdul Samad. Despite the club’s poor performance, he won ISL Emerging Player of the Season and was also announced as the AIFF Emerging Player of the Year.”
A Little Sorrow, A Little Happiness
“Before the start of the season, KBFC poached some big names from the market. Mario Arques and Sergio Cidoncha came from Jamshedpur FC, the big man Bart Ogbeche came and the star coach Eelco Schattorie joined the Blasters from North East United FC. Then the young attacker from Indian Arrows Rahul K P and the goan Jessel Carneiro also signed for the Kochi-based side.”
“Kerala Blasters suffered an early blow to their pre-season preparations when the team had to return from UAE midway through their preparatory camp due to a disagreement with the sponsors. The team was set to play a total of four matches, with one scheduled for this evening.”
“The season started with a victory over ATK FC at home, however, the second victory came after ten more matches. The season was plagued with injuries to various players which could be attributed to the poor performance of the team. Raphael Messi Bouli and Ogbeche combined well and scored twenty-three goals between them. The team also went to win against their arch-rivals Bengaluru FC for the first time and also defeated a strong ATK FC at their home.”
“The team secured only four wins and 7 draws, but fans still enjoyed the show as the team played a good brand of football and scored 29 goals in the league, the third-best in the league. The fans still consider Eelco as one of the best coaches who have managed KBFC and think that the performance would have been way better if not for injuries.”
“So, Eelco, Bart, Messi, etc. would have been retained next season, right? Ha ha, you don’t know how brainless the management is?”
Part 3 – coming soon
