Ashley Westwood says "This is a fresh start" ahead of Kerala Blasters v Mumbai City at Kochi
Ashley Westwood addressed the media ahead of Kerala Blasters FC’s Indian Super League 2026-27 home meeting with Mumbai City FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi on 25 October, with the club preparing to play in a fully sold-out stadium.
Kerala Blasters arrive after a 4-1 defeat to the Highlanders and will play their first home game of the season, while Mumbai City come in off a loss and a draw against Punjab in their two matches to date; the pre-match press conference was attended by head coach Ashley Westwood and forward Momo Yansane.
On the recent loss and the squad’s short preparation, Westwood said: “I don’t think it was unexpected, if I’m being honest. We were a team that had only been training together for ten days before our second game. We had new players coming in and had also spent a considerable amount of time travelling. This was our first week in Kerala, and we’d been living out of our suitcases for the best part of two weeks. However, I don’t think it was a 4–1 game. If you look at the statistics and expected goals (xG), their xG was around 2.0, but they scored four goals.”
Continuing on the same topic, Westwood added: “That shows we made individual mistakes and allowed them to score goals they might not have scored otherwise. Nevertheless, if you defend the way we did and make the mistakes we made, you’re never going to win football matches. It’s a learning process. We’ve learned more about the squad this week, but there’s still a lot more to learn. We need to identify the best combinations and the right personnel. There will be changes throughout the season, but our immediate priority is to establish a consistent starting eleven that we can rely on.”
Discussing the opposition, Westwood said: “We’ve done our homework on Mumbai, as we always do. We’ve analysed them, and I know their manager well because I’ve played against him several times. We’re expecting a tough game. Mumbai haven’t earned as many points as their performances and statistics suggest they should have. They’re underperforming in terms of results, and their performances indicate that they’re better than their league position might suggest, although they’ve played only two games.” He added: “They have good players, including several regular national-team players, whereas we have one who doesn’t feature regularly. I understand that one of their players is injured. Nevertheless, they have quality foreign players, a good manager and a strong club. We expect a difficult match.”
Momo Yansane outlined the squad’s preparations and mentality: “As the coach said, we have to show what we can do through our performances. We’ve trained well this week, and we’re confident because the coach has helped us correct many mistakes. I believe we can win this game because I can see that my teammates are ready. We’re prepared to support the coach and his staff and do everything we can to secure the three points. We know we’ll face a strong opponent, but that doesn’t change our approach. We work hard, and the coach helps us improve. We’re ready to give everything, compete intensely and deliver a good performance.” He added: “For me, it comes down to desire. You have to work hard and believe in yourself. I believe in this team and my teammates. They’re ready for the game and the league, and they’re showing that they’re willing to listen and learn. They listen to the coach and follow his instructions, just as I do. We’re working hard to bring positive changes to the team and help the coach achieve his objectives.”
On facing Manolo Marquez and past meetings, Westwood said: “Manolo is a good coach, but if you ask me, this isn’t about the coaches. I’m sure he’s not particularly concerned about me; he’s focused on his own team, just as I’m focused on mine. We’ve prepared for Mumbai and expect them to play in a certain way, but we have to concentrate on ourselves because our performance last week showed us that we have plenty of work to do. I’ve played against Manolo before. I beat FC Goa last season, alongside Kevin, in the final game of the season. I also beat the Indian national team with Hong Kong when he was managing them. However, that doesn’t mean anything now. He’ll be concentrating on his team, and we must do the same. We need to get our own house in order. There are many things we can improve and change, so our focus must be on what we bring to the game.”
On leadership and the captaincy, Westwood said: “Honestly, we have several leaders in the dressing room. As head coach, I lead the club, but across all the teams I’ve managed, I’ve always preferred to appoint an Indian captain out of respect for Indian football. That’s what I’ve done here as well. Personally, I don’t think the armband determines whether someone is a leader. People looking from the outside might question who the leader is, but we know the leaders we have within our dressing room.” He explained further: "I like having local players, particularly those from the same state, in leadership positions. Vibin is a good player with considerable potential. I believe he could become a consistent presence in the Indian national team in the years to come. Sometimes, giving a player the captain’s armband helps them take on greater responsibility, step up and develop. That was the thinking behind appointing Vibin. However, being captain doesn’t guarantee that a player will be in the starting eleven every week. We have other leaders, including James Bolton, Momo, Luna and Nebo. Their leadership qualities don’t disappear simply because they aren’t wearing the armband. We have an established leadership group that also includes Amrinder, a local player who has worn the captain’s armband for ISL teams on numerous occasions and represented the Indian national team. Vibin is part of the group because we want him to take on more responsibility. Luna, James Bolton and Aiban are also included because of their experience and consistency. We hold regular meetings with this leadership group. For me, the armband is largely symbolic. We know who our leaders are and what they contribute to the team. Giving Luna the armband wouldn’t change his game, nor would taking it away. We have several leaders, and leadership isn’t dependent on wearing an armband. In football, you don’t need an armband to be a leader.”
Turning to the supporters, Westwood said: “First and foremost, we’re excited to be back playing in front of our home fans. There’s no greater feeling than playing in front of your own supporters. We’re happy to be back in Kerala. In terms of numbers, our fans are the best in the country. There’s no denying that. They turn out in force when the players and performances give them a reason to do so. Whatever happened in the past doesn’t concern me; it happened before I arrived. What I do know is that, when I came here, the fans started returning as we began giving something back through our hard work, performances, desire and aggression in trying to win football matches. That will continue for as long as I’m at this club.” He added: “There’s no point in supporters turning out in large numbers and then disappearing when things don’t go their way. We need togetherness and unity. This club must be united: the fans, management, owners, players and coaching staff. That’s what we’re trying to achieve. This is a fresh start, a clean slate, and we’ll grow together. Just stick with us. If something goes wrong, I guarantee we’ll work to put it right. We can’t change everything overnight, but tomorrow you’ll see a team trying everything it can.” He concluded: “The players will run for lost causes, chase balls, press the opposition, move the ball forward and get numbers into the box. We’ll try to play a style of football that everyone can look forward to and be excited about. That’s my message: come and support us. You won’t be disappointed by our application and work rate. We can’t guarantee a result, but we can guarantee that the team will give everything it has.”
Kerala Blasters will host Mumbai City at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi on 25 October in a match Westwood says represents a "fresh start" for the club and will be played in front of a fully sold-out home crowd.