Stitches come apart: Taylor goes out

KOCHI: Englishman Peter Taylor became the first high profile manager to exit mid-way through the Indian Super League as he was forced to relinquish his job as marquee manager of Kerala Blasters following a string of poor performances by his team. Coach Trevor Morgan will now assume managerial responsibilities of the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned team, who are currently at the bottom of the ISL points table with just four points from six matches.
"Peter Taylor has left the club with immediate effect following a mutual decision. Kerala Blasters thank Peter for his efforts and his contribution during the association. Trevor Morgan will presently assume the responsibilities of Kerala Blasters team," Blasters team management informed in a terse statement on Wednesday evening.
Though the Blasters' statement indicates an honorable exit for Taylor, indications are that all was not well in the Kerala camp as they slumped from one defeat to another in the second season of the league. In fact, indications are that Taylor's insistence on playing the same 5-3-2 formation in all the matches despite very little result didn't go down well with the team management and his support staff.
It is learnt that the team management had indicated to Taylor last week in Goa that he could be on his way out if he wasn't able to arrest his team's slide. And with the Kerala side slumping to their fourth successive defeat in the league to FC Pune City on Tuesday night, the team management decided to show the 62-year-old Englishman the door. The Blasters team along with Taylor came back to Kochi on Wednesday and was soon informed of the decision to part ways. The Englishman is currently in the team hotel in the city and is likely to leave on Thursday.
Unlike his predecessor David James, Taylor was not a popular manager among Blasters fans. Though he decided to have his team's pre-season camp in Thiruvananthapuram, the Englishman opted for closed-door training sessions which upset the fans. The Blasters played six pre-season practice matches but fans were allowed entry for only one game, which they played against AG's Office, Thiruvananthapuram.
Some former footballers feel that changing a coach is not the solution for changing the fortunes of Kerala Blasters. "We have a general perception that coaches are the lone cause for a team's result. But it is wrong. Coaches can only prepare the players for the match and it is the players who should perform. Sacking a coach for poor results is not fair," said former India player CV Pappachan.
With eight more matches to go in the league, Blasters have plenty of catching up to do to entertain hopes of qualification for the semifinals. The only advantage for the team is that Taylor's replacement, Morgan, is someone who has been with the Blasters set-up right from the inception of the ISL last year. The team management and fans would be hoping that Morgan can conjure up some magic with this Blasters in the latter half of the season.