Mikael Stahre is up for his first big test as head coach of Kerala Blasters. The next three weeks should play a decisive part in how the Indian Super League season shapes up for the Swede and his team in yellow. For the sixth season, the Blasters had the luxury of starting a campaign with consecutive home matches.
Now, they embark on a treble of away fixtures: NorthEast United in Guwahati (Sept 29), Odisha FC in Bhubaneswar (Oct 3), and Mohammedan SC in Kolkata (Oct 20). While teams perform better at home grounds, it is no secret that a successful football season depends on how well they perform in their travels. Teams fighting for titles (and knockouts) make it a habit to rack up points from away fixtures.
At home, backed by their loyal fanbase, arguably the best in the country, the Blasters have been impressive. Since their inception in 2014, the Blasters have been unbeaten in 73 per cent of matches played at home (two seasons played in neutral venues at Goa due to COVID-19 are excluded). But the story is different on away grounds.
The Blasters have lost 50.5 per cent of their matches played on away grounds and managed to win only one in every four encounters outside the comfort of home. When Blasters travelled well Let us consider the Blasters' home-away records in the seasons they did well.
In all seasons they made it to the playoffs, the Blasters maintained their enviable home record while showing a marked improvement in their win percentage on away grounds. In 2016, the.