‘Sometimes winning is everything’ was the tag-line of the national award-winning film ‘Chak De India’ and when A.M. Sreedharan and his boys begin their campaign in the 3rd edition of the I-League, those words will echo in their ears.
Everybody associated with the club knows there will probably be very little chance of being ‘third time lucky’ in the I-League as there are serious concerns that if Viva Kerala get relegated once again, it might signal the end of the club.
Strengths:
Local talent is always important. As most of the players are from Kerala, a good co-ordination and proper on-field communication is expected this year. That was what they lacked when they qualified for the inaugural edition of the I-League.
The club’s strength also lies in its youth as the average age of the squad is only 23. Players like Shahin Lal Meloly, Amarwant Singh and Sabeeth C.S., who were part of the India Under-19 team, should bring in some improvement in the quality on the field. The team’s playmaker will be M.P. Sakeer who was outstanding in the second division and when Patrick Sisupalan (Player of Indian Origin) teams up with him in central midfield, it ought to boost Viva Kerala’s chances of taking control of the game.
Weaknesses:
The number ‘13’ is considered unlucky in lot many parts of the world. When Viva Kerala qualified for the I-League in the 2007/08 season, they left out 13 players - the list included current I-League players Justin Stephen, Denson Devadas and R. Dhanarajan. Although this time around, the attrition rate was considerably less, departures of Shaleel and Lalu will certainly have an adverse effect on the team. Both players were experienced and had played in the I-League too.
The other concern for Sreedharan is Bello Razaq’s absence, which means there is lack of experienced players in the heart of defence. The Nigerian, who was part of Salgaocar and Mahindra United, has a great deal of experience playing in Indian conditions. The management expects he will sort out his visa problems and join the squad soon.
Coach’s view:
Sreedharan had enjoyed success in his F.C. Kochin days and although things looked good initially at Viva Kerala, it took a turn for the worse as the league wore on. However, the 64-year old believes his team is stronger this season and can survive in the top flight.
“When we played in the 1st Division I-League two years back we had many players who were well past their glory and to add to our misery, the foreigners failed to find their touch. This season, we have a young squad and the boys are determined to give of their best,” Sreedharan said.
Although the fixtures didn’t do the club much favour (they play their first three matches away from home), he is seeing those games as a platform to assess the team.
“As the first three games are away matches, it will help me to know more about my team so that we can plan a strategy for our home games later in the season,” he said.
PIO speaks:
Sisupalan is very excited about the challenge in front of him and feels he is adapting to the conditions well.
“At first it was tough for me. But being here for more than a month has helped me a lot,” Sisupalan said. The English born player also feels the club can pose a greater challenge in the I-League this season.
“I have seen Chirag United and Churchill Brothers in action and I believe they are beatable and we have a very good squad to do just that,” he added.
Key Players:
Sabeeth CS, Shahin Lal Meloli, MP Sakeer and Patrick Raman Sisupalan.
Courtesy: IndianFootball.com
From the archive. First published on footballkerala.com on Friday 18 September 2009, restored from the site's 2012 database. Text as originally published.