If it were up to Queensland Roar coach Frank Farina, his side would be involved in Hyundai A-League action this weekend.
The Roar were originally scheduled to take on Adelaide United this weekend, but the Reds progression to the FIFA Club World Cup has forced FFA to reschedule that fixture.
Farina was thankful that his players had a chance to freshen up ahead of a crucial final six matches, but stated he would have preferred a chance to grab a top two spot on the ladder before Christmas.
“We had a bit of momentum going with results and the way we were playing, so it would have been nice to continue on, but look it can work both ways,” Farina said.
“I think it will freshen up the players coming into the final six games, which will be enormous in terms of whether we make it (to the finals) or not.”
“I would have personally preferred we played, but so be it.”
But if Roar players had any ideas about an extended Christmas break before their home fixture against Wellington Phoenix on 28 December, they were up for a rude awakening from Farina.
“They’re only getting Christmas day off and I was reluctant to give them that,” he said.
The Roar will train on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day and Farina was confident that none of his players’ Christmas Lunches would be too expansive.
“They’ll be back in Boxing Day, so they’ll behave.”
“I don’t think within 24 hours they’re going to be able to get up to too much mischief and if there are any sore heads that come in on Boxing Day, they might find they’ll have a bit of extra work to do after training.”
Farina used the week off to give his chargers a little time away from football ahead of a hectic finish to the Hyundai A-League.
“There’ll be a week when we play three games in a week, I think Melbourne are in a similar situation,” he said.
“This week was purely designed to freshen people up, sharp stuff, nothing too laboring, but it will be good.”
“They can get away for two days now and not be seeing me and the others every day.”
“Just to freshen them up … it’s most probably in some ways a good thing for them, to get their minds off it, because it’ll be a very intense six games.”
