With the I-League now in its mid season break, there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes in all clubs to account for their failings in the first half of the season. Lying at the bottom of the table with 4 points is Viva Kerala who have not only endured a disappointing first half to the season but now also find themselves in a off field controversy.
Goal.com caught up with coach A.Shreedharan to inquire about what is going on at the Kerala club these days.
“We are using this break to train properly and work on all aspects of our game. We are playing in the Kochi tournament and will be playing the final tomorrow (29th November).
"It was good match practice as well and will help the team remain sharp and concentrated. Second half of the I-League season is now extremely crucial for us.”
Having conceded the fact that their performances so far have been disappointing and have made the task of surviving difficult, Shreedharan does see the positive side.
“Yes the results have been disappointing but you notice we have played bulk of our difficult matches in the first half. We have already played Dempo away, Mahindra away and Mohan Bagan away and hosted Chirag and East Bengal.
"So comparatively the second half will be easier in terms of opposition. Having said that its in our own hands to turn things around. We need a couple of results to turn the tide in our favour.”
With enough problems on the field the last thing the coach wanted was a off field controversy, and denied that players weren't being paid on time.
“Reports in the media suggest that couple of our overseas players are not happy at the club and there is an issue about salary payments. All that is not true. Players have been selected and not selected purely on the basis of merit and injuries.”
Viva must hit the ground running when the second half of the season starts as they don’t have much scope for errors left. Harmony behind the scenes could help keep the club in running for survival.
Source: Goal.com
From the archive. First published on footballkerala.com on Tuesday 1 December 2009, restored from the site's 2012 database. Text as originally published.