Peter Taylor. File photoKochi: History repeated itself for Kerala Blasters after head coach Rene Meulensteen decided to step down following the team’s woeful start to the 2017-18 Indian Super League (ISL) season.
It is the second time in the four-year-old league that the Kochi-based franchise showed the door to its gaffer midway into the season.
Former England head coach Peter Taylor was the first one to go. He was sacked as Blasters manager midway through the second season after the team suffered defeats in four consecutive matches.
The expectations were high for Blasters in the second season after reaching the final of the inaugural edition. The team managed to win the opening match and draw the second tie. But thereafter the Yellow Brigade lost four matches in a row. Apart from miserable results, an internal feud was also said to be a reason for Taylor’s sudden exit.
Indeed, Taylor was an experienced coach with a proven track record. He had two spells as head coach of the England under-21 side and took charge of the England national team for one game against Italy. It was in that match David Beckham captained the national side for the first time.
As a player, he made it to the national team during his time with Crystal Palace in the 1970s. He was one of the few players to have been selected to the senior team without playing in the top two flights of the domestic league.
Despite the vast amount of coaching experience under his belt, Taylor failed to motivate players to play together as a cohesive unit during his short-lived stint at Blasters.
Compared to Taylor, former Fulham manger Rene Meulensteen was given enough time to prepare the team. He was present even during the player draft to pick players of his choice.
Read also: More ISL News | Why Meulensteen was forced to step down
