ISL 2023-24: We did not have a good performance – Punjab FC’s Staikos Vergetis after loss against Kerala Blasters FC

Punjab FC head coach Staikos Vergetis admitted they didn’t put in a good performance after their 1-0 loss against Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday.

Dimitrios Diamantakos scored through a spot kick in the 51st minute to put the Yellow Tuskers in front. In the end, Diamantakos’ goal proved to be enough for the visitors to bag all three points.

The home team only had 40.9% of possession and could not even take a single shot on target. The Shers are still searching for their first win of the season despite playing 10 matches in their maiden season of the tournament.

Vergetis feels his team’s performance was good in the first half as they were able to keep the opposition at bay but veered off the track in the initial stages of the second half.

“I believe that in the first half, we had control over Kerala Blasters FC,” Vergetis said in the post-match press conference.

“We succeeded in keeping the opponent team far away from our post. In the second half, the first 12–15 minutes, Kerala Blasters FC came inside (our box), increasing her performance a lot, and we were lost in the field at all. We had no concentration on the tactical planning of the tasks that we had and the roles that we had to play on the field. We were absolutely lost,” he added.

Vergetis said they had to take the offensive approach in the second half after trailing by one goal but their tactics could not work.

“I prefer to say that after the goal that we received and the changes that we were obligated to make, we balanced the game.”

“But we made the team more offensive, and we had open space in our backs in the transition. Kerala Blasters FC had their good moments in the offensive transition to make the second goal. But we are forced to do this in case of the offensive risk to draw the game,” he opined.

Punjab FC brought on Wilmar Jordan, Prasanth K, Kingslee Fernandes, and Leon Augustine in the second half but it was to no avail.

“We made some substitutes fast, and we balanced the game again, searching for one goal until the last second that never came,” he said.

“I think that we did not have a good performance today. Most of our players, especially with the ball, were very bad. We lost many balls, and we lost many second balls. That’s why we could not make as many attacks as we hoped that we could,” he signed off.

Punjab FC will next take on Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Monday.