Clifford Miranda cautious ahead of Chennaiyin’s ISL 2026-27 home meeting with Kerala Blasters

Chennaiyin FC head coach Clifford Miranda warned about Kerala Blasters’ improving form ahead of his team’s ISL 2026-27 home match at the Marina Arena on October 31, 2026, and spoke at a pre-match press conference alongside midfielder Madih Talal.

Chennaiyin have scored just one goal in their opening three fixtures of the season and sit on one point, a situation the report says mirrors their standing after three matches in 2025-26. They began with a 1-1 draw against FC Goa, followed by a 2-0 defeat to Bengaluru FC and a 1-0 loss to Mohun Bagan SG; the team will now return home for their first home game of the season against Kerala Blasters FC.

On Kerala Blasters and their coach Ashley Westwood, Miranda said: "Good team, balanced team with a good coach who has experience in India. Also has experience coaching international teams. He did very well last year when he came on and guided them to six victories and got them out of the relegation zone. And this year itself, even though they may not have had a long pre-season, they are improving day by day, match by match." He added: "And they won their first game. Unlucky to have lost the second game because it was away, and playing in the North East is never easy. And then they drew the last game with a monstrous crowd there. It’s something that we envy. They controlled Mumbai well." He also described them as "organised and strong defensively. And just like us, they are having a bit of difficulty in the final third. But again, with the coach who has been working on them since last season, with more or less the same sort of Indian players and the same ideology, I think they are still a very, very strong team, like any team in the league."

Miranda outlined his approach for the upcoming stretch of home fixtures — three successive matches at the Marina Arena with two scheduled before the international break and one after it — and insisted the team’s style would not change because of venue. "To play good football, to play in an organised way, to play the way we always train. Nothing changes for us in the way we play. We play in the same way whether it’s home or away. Yes, away with a slight bit of caution, but it’s the same. And the most important thing is to win the football game, to win the football match, that’s it," he said.

Addressing Chennaiyin’s problems in front of goal, Miranda defended his side’s attacking work while stressing the need to convert chances. "In terms of attacking dynamics, I think we are better than we were last season. And we are creating a lot of chances. Our final entries are very good; the pattern, even though, to the naked eye, it could be similar. Last year also we were not scoring goals. But the fact is that we have more control compared to last season. Our movement is very dynamic. We know exactly what we are doing compared to last season. In terms of we are dominating games in the final third unlike last season." He continued: "The issue was that we didn’t get into the final third; we didn’t create chances because we didn’t have enough players. But day by day, we are getting there. But to play in a particular way where we know exactly the movements, the different movements, it takes a bit of time. As I said, scoring is the most difficult thing. But like you and the players as well, I am thinking in the same way: we must start scoring. Because there is no excuse, it is very, very important to score. Because that is what wins you football matches."

Madih Talal, speaking at the same press conference, dismissed the idea that Kerala Blasters’ truncated pre-season would be a factor and stressed Chennaiyin’s focus on securing points at home. "We are not thinking about what the opponent is doing, whether they do pre-season or not. They are just working on us. We had a long-time pre-season; it was not easy also for us. We work hard; it will take time, but we want the three points tomorrow because it’s the first home game. So, we are improving game by game. So now it’s time to take points," Talal said. On his role, Talal added: "I am the playmaker of the team. So, I am trying to help them as much as I can. I need to take more responsibility in this final third, I would say. Some days you will maybe score three goals, five goals. Some days you don’t score. Then one day they will say, “oh” Oh, you didn’t score. Then the next day they will say you are the best. So, we just have to continue to work like that and stay focused, and that’s it."

Miranda reiterated his tactical model and credited his players for enabling its implementation this season, while also singling out his squad’s attacking talent. "There is a game model that I wanted to implement. It is the way I want my teams to play. It is to dominate with the ball and be aggressive without the ball. Honestly, I am only as good as the players that I have. If I don’t have a certain kind of player to play a certain kind of football, I cannot play that kind of football. And I can implement this this year because of the players that I have with me." He also stated: "I think we have the best number 10 in the division right now with us, by a distance. I don’t know who the next one is. But for me, I think he is the best in terms of the players. He has got good history when he played for Punjab and then unfortunately got injured when he was at East Bengal. But he did very well until the point that he got injured. And then he did very well last season as well with Jamshedpur."

Miranda appealed directly to supporters to attend the match in large numbers and make their presence felt in the stands. "When we went to Goa, they had quite a few fans. The stadium was not packed but they had quite a few fans. When we went to Bengaluru, a lot of fans, you know. And when we went to Mohun Bagan, the same thing. I want the fans of Chennaiyin FC and the people from Chennai to come and support us. Because for sure one thing is given: whatever the travelling fans from Kerala will be, they will be loud because they travel everywhere." He asked for a strong home turnout: "So, it’s what I want, and my team wants the fans of Chennai to outnumber them in a ratio of 1 to 10. To outnumber the Kerala fans by 20 times or maybe 100 times. Imagine we train with no noise, and we play a game with a lot of noise, with your fans backing you. It’s an added boost for the players, for everyone else around and for the game as well. So, we want the fans; we want the fans in huge numbers. Come support us."

The Chennaiyin versus Kerala Blasters fixture kicks off at 17:00 IST on October 31, 2026, at the Marina Arena; the report states that Chennaiyin FC have 1 point from 3 games and are currently placed 12th in the 2026/27 ISL standings.