ISL 2019-20 | I can’t play the type of football I want to yet, says Eelco Schattorie

ISL 2019-20 | I can’t play the type of football I want to yet, says Eelco Schattorie

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ISL

Kerala Blasters coach Eelco Schattorie has admitted that a bad pre-season and piling injury list have been huge reasons for his team not playing the football he has wanted from the beginning. However, the Dutchman lauded Hyderabad’s goalie for his amazing saves that eventually won his side.

After winning the first match against ATK 2-1, Kerala Blasters have gone on to lose two consecutive matches and manager Schattorie has pointed out that their shaky pre-season and increasing injury list have been big influencers in that.

“If you have a bad pre-season, you are always playing catch up. It’s all about stability. I haven’t found that stability till now or couldn’t create one. All the players have given it their full effort, there is nothing to say about how hard we work and how hard we try,” said Schattorie in the post-match press conference.

With the side already lacking the services of Mario Arques in the very first match, Schattorie saw centre-half Gianni Zuiverloon to injury on Saturday. “Today two players started with an injection. I lost another centre-back (Gianni Zuiverloon), who from the beginning of the season was not fit. So, you walk on a thin line. But you have to play. I emphasize that the work rate and the will to do something is there. But the type of football I like to play, I cannot get that (yet),” he added.

The injuries forced Kerala to make changes in their formation, before Hyderabad, an equally injury-plagued side, came all guns blazing to two goals and win the match 2-1. A major credit should also be going to Kamaljit Singh, who faced 11 shots and emerged victorious eventually.

“So, eventually I changed to a 4-4-2 and played more long balls instead of playing from the back. That worked okay. Then the goalkeeper of the opponent team made some amazing saves. That’s not the first time I’ve seen it in the Hero ISL this season. This looks like a season of goalkeepers,” he added.

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