Mike Mulvey has refused to label Friday night’s encounter with Newcastle Jets as a ‘do-or-die’ clash, but says the match will be crucial.
Brisbane Roar coach Mike Mulvey has refused to label Friday night’s encounter with Newcastle Jets as a ‘do-or-die’ clash, but says the match will be crucial to his team’s self-belief.
Newcastle and Brisbane are in direct competition for a finals berth, with the Jets (26 points) sitting in sixth place on the table, and the Roar (24) just under them in seventh.
Mulvey told reporters on Thursday that his side were still recovering from a difficult week in which they played two Hyundai A-League games and an Asian Champions League qualifier against Buriram in Thailand.
Ivan Franjic looks to have recovered from a concussion he received against Buriram, while Henrique has recovered from a hip injury and will also be available for selection, according to the Roar coach.
“I think that we’ve got a very good spirit amongst the boys, and that tough week away helped cement that,” Mulvey said.
“When you’ve got your backs to the wall, as we did after a couple of losses, one of them being in the ACL, you need to turn it around, you need to show you’ve got that passion and you’ve got that ability to bounce back.”
Brisbane put losses to Sydney FC and Buriram behind them to defeat Wellington Phoenix last weekend.
“We did bounce back last week and what we want to do now is we want to get on a run,” Mulvey said.
“We want to actually go and win in Newcastle and that will give us some more self-belief, which would be great.”
With six matches to go before the finals, the Roar coach denied desperation was required from both teams involved in Friday’s match.
“I don’t think desperation is the right word,” he said.
“But you need to recognise that there’s a game to be played and you don’t get carried away with the occasion or the possible outcomes.
“You need to concentrate on your performance from the start of the week in terms of preparation, and then actually when you get on the park.
“There’s no point in waiting till the 75th minute to try and win the game, let’s try and set the win up in the first five or 10 minutes.
“So we’re going to go out with a very positive attitude. We’re going to have a real good go.”
