Kerala Blasters will look to make amends from their game against Mumbai City as they take on arch-rivals Chennaiyin FC in the Southern Derby. The Blasters have had a hot and cold season so far; while the team managed to keep clean sheets against Inter Kashi and Mumbai, they got a 4-1 thrashing against NorthEast United.

However, head coach Ashley Westwood believes his side are making steady progress despite their early-season shortcomings, insisting that the team needs more time to develop cohesion as they prepare for their South Indian derby against Chennaiyin FC.

Speaking to a select media ahead of the fixture, Westwood reflected on Kerala Blasters’ goalless draw against Mumbai City FC, assessed their defensive performances and discussed the squad’s fitness concerns. Westwood felt Kerala Blasters had created enough opportunities to win against Mumbai City, particularly in the first half, but admitted that their final-third execution needed improvement.

“We created enough chances to win the game, especially in the first half, and we also kept a clean sheet,” Westwood said. “The final pass, the final decision and the final finish were not quite there.”

The coach attributed some of the shortcomings to a lack of match fitness and sharpness, adding that the players began to tire during the final 25 minutes. Nevertheless, he was encouraged by the team’s ability to create chances and believed they could take positives from the performance.

Westwood Wary of Chennaiyin FC threat

Turning his attention to the upcoming South Indian derby, Westwood warned that Chennaiyin FC could pose a significant challenge despite their difficult start to the season.
The Kerala Blasters coach highlighted Chennaiyin’s movement and attacking fluidity, pointing to their ability to create central overloads through wide players moving inside, forwards dropping deep and midfield rotations.

Westwood believes Chennaiyin have deserved more points than they have collected so far and stressed the importance of defensive organisation.

“They are a good side, and we need to defend well against them. We must communicate, stay compact and avoid leaving spaces because they can exploit those gaps,” he said.
Despite recognising the importance of the rivalry, Westwood insisted that it would not change his approach to the fixture. He maintained that every match is a serious contest and that Kerala Blasters would approach the derby with the same objective of securing a win.

Clean Sheets Offer Hope Despite Defensive Errors

Westwood also defended Kerala Blasters’ defensive record, pointing out that the team had kept two clean sheets in their opening three matches.

The side did concede four goals in one game, with the coach attributing that result to individual errors and the challenges of integrating new players into the squad. Kerala Blasters have brought in five new foreign players and nine new Indian players, alongside several changes to the coaching and support staff.

According to Westwood, the scale of those changes means the team cannot be expected to develop an understanding immediately. “You cannot expect a group like that to gel overnight. There will be problems, twists and turns, and bumps along the way. Our job is to keep improving,” he said.

The coach added that he had noticed considerable progress between the team’s performance against Inter Kashi and the subsequent match against Mumbai City. However, he acknowledged that Kerala Blasters still had considerable work to do.

Fitness Remains Priority For Kerala Blasters

Westwood further explained that the club’s preparations had been affected by uncertainty surrounding the start of the season, leaving the squad with only seven or eight days of preparation before the campaign began.

He said the coaching staff had therefore taken a cautious approach to training loads to minimise the risk of injuries, particularly with several matches scheduled in a short period.
With a break approaching after the next fixture, Kerala Blasters plan to focus on gym work, conditioning and improving the players’ overall fitness. Westwood also indicated that the squad would have a short break around Diwali before returning to training.

The coach said players including Luna and Kosovic were continuing to build their fitness, while Andre, Momo and Fallou were also working towards improving their physical condition.

Westwood believes the team have made steady progress but acknowledged that there is still room for improvement, both individually and collectively. The immediate challenge, however, will be to translate that progress into a positive result against Chennaiyin FC.