ISL 2017: TEAM TRACKER-- KBFC has all the ingredients, but can they turn out to be the masterchefs?

KERALA BLASTERS once again reached the finals of Indian Super League in the last edition and once again they lost to ATK. If they won the opening season by one goal margin, last edition they lost on penalties.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw and ATK won 4-3 on penalties. But nonetheless, it was a great performance after a dreadful second season. The boys in yellow finished second on the points table and ended as runners-up.

They now await their new season with some familiar faces and some experienced. The first surprise came in the form of a new coach for the season after Steve Coppell had parted ways with the team.

It looks like a fitting replacement as he's got the name, credentials and experience. Rene Meulensteen, his name is often linked with the great Sir Alex Ferguson as they both have worked together at Manchester United.

Now this itself brings a lot of expectations and hopes. But it didn't just stop at that, there just had to be some more United connections. KBFC then bagged the signings of two former United stars in forward Dimitar Berbatov and defender Wes Brown.

That's not it, these are the big stars, but there's more to the list of big names in the current KBFC squad. After spending two seasons at ATK, Canadian Iain Hume is back in the KBFC team. And to connect with the local fans, there are home-grown stars in CK Vineeth, Rino Anto and Sandesh Jhingan who has been with the team since the inception.

There is also depth when you look at the entire squad with the likes of Jackichand Singh, Arata Izumi, Lalruatthara, Milan Singh etc. And looking at them you also get the answer as to who was responsible in getting them on board. With the experience and knowledge of Indian football, Rene is in the best hands with the assistant coach Thangboi Singto on board too. This could also prove to be a jack-pot combination if successful.

What Singto has also brought in are the young players who act as a great addition to the squad and the depth in it. He coached Shillong Lajong (an I-League team) before coming into ISL and there had to be a connection from there too. With the likes of Samuel Shadap, Pritam Singh, Lalthakima along with the two young lads from Kerala Ajith Sivan and Prasanth Karuthadathkuni, it just makes the squad look more promising and it will be interesting to see how training and playing under two experienced coaches will shape these players.

All eyes rather will be on the big names mentioned earlier, as they too will feel the pressure playing in front of a packed stadium and delivering results in their favour everytime they are on the field. Last season, KBFC took some time to get to the winning groove, they can't sit back and relax this time as a stiff and tough competition is expected this season.

With the addition of two new teams of which one has already proven their worth in the Indian football circuit (Bengaluru FC) and there has already been a buzz of rivalry brewing which will eventually translate onto the field. KBFC will have to go the extra mile and be the team that's on their toes and in action from the get go. But at the same time juggle between injury concerns too. This time the season is a little longer, there may be some breathing space unlike in the past but the competition only gets tougher as mentioned above.

KBFC have the squad to crack and break the jinx this time, there is quality, depth and the ability to rise to the occasion but will they is the question.

The likes of Brown and Berbatov have crossed their prime, will they be able to sustain for the entire duration of the game throughout the season is something to the fans will have to wait and watch.

But there's also a possibility of them doing well and therefore the fans can only hope for the best. While KBFC has all the ingredients, it remains to be seen if they can get the recipe right for the desired result.

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