KOCHI: This time last year, Kibu Vicuna was masterminding Mohun Bagan's unprecedented march to the I-League title. After his side had started the 2019-20 season with a draw against Aizawl and a humbling defeat to Churchill Brothers, they were simply unstoppable.
In the next 14 matches, they won 12 and drew twice and even the nationwide lockdown could not deny them the title as they wrapped up the title before the league was cut short.
The challenges are different at the moment as he is helming a Kerala Blasters side who are languishing at tenth in the table and even a tilt at the top four looks like a tall order.
At the end of their last match against league leaders Mumbai City, the Spaniard identified one problem which crippled his team and that was lack of goals despite creating chances.
Having scored just eight goals so far, they have been extremely goal shy and as they come up against Odisha FC, the Kerala-based outfit will have to address that issue.
"We are working in training to improve our finishing. The good thing is that we created chances but the bad thing is that we didn't convert them in the previous match. We are trying to improve in this aspect," said Vicuna ahead of the game.
It's a battle of two struggling teams and Odisha coach Stuart Baxter does not want the morale in his camp to go down after their poor string of results.
“The first thing that has to happen is that the players do not lose belief. We are trying to retain that. The tweaks that we need to do, we are aware of them and we are working on them and that’s why I think we are improving. Once the tide turns, when the momentum changes I think we can come very very strong. The players’ belief has to be stronger than the negativity,” said the English coach.
Odisha are the only team in the league to still be without a win.
While both coaches have plenty of worries to address at the halfway stage of the season, Vicuna has happy memories of his I-League days and believes that the new season will be a very competitive one.
"It is going to be interesting without East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. It is going to be more open because they always have good teams," said Vicuna while adding that he would be following the competition closely.
He tipped the likes of Gokulam Kerala FC, Churchill Brothers, Punjab FC, Real Kashmir and Mohammedan Sporting to be in the fray for the title.
The Spaniard also suggested that the I-League is a good scouting platform for ISL sides as a lot of Indian footballers get playing time and opportunities.
"There will be more opportunities for Indians as there will be fewer foreigners. It is a good platform as there are many players who come from I-League and are doing well in ISL," he said.