ISL 2022-23 We want to compete against anybody - Ivan Vukomanovic previews Kerala Blasters first away match of the season Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Approve Reject & ban Delete Logout

ISL 2022-23 We want to compete against anybody - Ivan Vukomanovic previews Kerala Blasters first away match of the season

Kerala Blasters face Odisha FC at the Kalinga Stadium on Sunday (Image: ISL Media) will play their first away match of the 2022-23 Indian Super League (ISL) season against at the Kalinga Stadium on Sunday, October 23. The Yellow Army to in their previous match at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi. They will be keen to bounce back when they lock horns with Odisha, who have won one and lost one of their two games this term. Kerala Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic set up his team to play attacking football in their first two games of the season. Asked during the pre-match press conference if his side will maintain the same style of football when they get on the road, he said: "Yes, absolutely because that's the way how we like to play, the way of attacking football, this is the way we want to enjoy. This is the way we want to see these boys play because we see them enjoying playing like that and we want to continue like that." The Serbian added: "We were speaking about the fact about going outside your comfort zone. When you go out of your comfort zone, playing like that, that's the way how you improve and that's how you become better, not only collectively, but as a team." Ayush Adhikari missed Kerala Blasters' match against ATK Mohun Bagan due to an injury, but Vukomanovic revealed that he has a full strength squad for his team's match against Odisha: "Everybody is available for tomorrow. Everybody is healthy. We're here with a full squad, so anybody can play. Today, we have one more session to see, of course." Vukomanovic was also asked about the possibility of , starting against his former employers on Sunday, to which he replied: "Victor is a quality player coming from this team, he's available. There's a possibility that he will play." The Yellow Army boss went on to assess his team's upcoming opponents, saying: "We're expecting Odisha to be strong tomorrow, to be aggressive. We're expecting to have crowd support and everything, but as a team we always want to be prepared to play hard games, to be aggressive as well, to show the quality because the boys have quality." Vukomanovic added: "We want to compete, that's the nice thing we have in our team, we want to compete against anybody to show that we're capable of winning games. In football, you win, lose, draw, but the mindset we want to have, this positivity, we want that." Four of Kerala Blasters' seven summer recruits have received a taste of ISL football in the last two matches. Bryce Miranda and Saurav Mandal, though, are still waiting for their chance. Providing his thoughts on the two youngsters, Vukomanovic said: "There is always a chance. Both of them have recognized the difference between ISL & I-League. Since they arrived, they see that training is higher intensity, every duel, every game, responsibility, accountability for actions, credibility for losses." "They're recognizing new moments in their playing life and they're adapting to that level. They both have qualities and we're expecting a lot of things from them this year."

Kerala Blasters Puitea opens up on partnership with Jeakson Singh

Vukomanovic was joined by Kerala Blasters midfielder Lalthathanga Khawlhring, commonly known as Puitea, for the pre-match press conference. The 24-year-old stressed the need for the Yellow Army to bounce back against Odisha. He said: "We lost our last game. This is the time we need to react, so we're preparing. We've come here for the three points, simple." Puitea was also quizzed about his partnership with fellow midfielder , to which he replied: "Jeakson is one of the best midfielders in India, so it's easy for me to play with him and manage the team. It's not just about both of us, it's about the team. We're enjoying our football here and every minute we play together, that's all, no secrets." It is now only a matter of time before we see if Kerala Blasters have the character to bounce back from their 5-2 defeat to ATK Mohun Bagan. Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Thank You! Show More Comments No thanks Delete Cancel Update Reply ❮ ❯ No thanks Delete Cancel Update Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Logout No Results Found