FC Pune City manager David Platt says that because of the high level of competition, and level playing ground, in this seasona s Indian Super League (ISL), a teama s position on the table is not an actual reflection of how good or bad they are.
As Platta s side gear up to face Kerala Blaster FC on Tuesday, they would be well-aware of the fact that the team managed by Peter Taylor have been playing some good football. It is just that they have not been able to win the matches.
“In this league, there’s no kind of sequence of form or anything like that. Every game is as difficult as the last one,” Platt was quoted saying in Goal.com, ahead of his side’s home fixture against Kerala Blasters FC.
In exactly the same tone, Platt said that although his side are on the top-half of the table, there is no guarantee that they would remain there.
“You look at the table and we are happy being in the top four but there are plenty of games left to retain that and for other teams to get in there. I’m pleased with things so far but could do with a couple more wins,” he said.
Platt also said that it is due to the demanding schedule of the ISL, that the league has been looking so competitive, as no team can play their best starting XI in all the matches. He said, “There are no special plans for Kerala. We analyse and plan and take into consideration all our opponents. The pleasing thing for a coach is that there is no time to dwell on the last game. You’re not looking just at the Blasters but also FC Goa because of the proximity of the games.”
FC Pune City are set to play a string of games, ahead of which, they would have just two or three days of rest. This means that Platt would invariably have to rotate his players almost every game, something that could break their winning run in the long run.
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Meanwhile, this is exactly what Kerala Blasters FC manager Peter Taylor would be hoping for, as his team just does not seem to be able to hold on to a win, in spite of playing some good football. Taylor had said they most of their goalscoring problems would be solved, once striker Mohammed Rafi makes a comeback from his injury.
This seemed to come true, as Rafi scored from a thumping header, to open the scoring, against FC Goa, on Thursday. However, that could not help his side, as the Blasters went down 2-1 in the end.
They would certainly need to turn their fortunes around, if they hope to progress to the semi finals of the tournament. As for FC Pune City and Platt, it is just a matter of getting the adequate amount of points on the board, in order to make it past the league stage.
Image Courtesy: Indian Super League Media Team